Plot Bunnies and Drafts
by LoliBat
Summary: This is my dumping ground for unfinished plot bunnies and drafts of my previous/future stories. These plot bunnies are NOT up for adoption- I'm just uploading them here for my readers. The categories vary depending on the plot bunny, so I have no idea what to put as category (besides HP). Most of these will be crossovers with various animes/books.
1. HP and death note

The Assassin of Death

Because I could not stop for Death

He kindly stopped for me-

The Carriage held but just Ourselves-

And immortality.

Ah, life was good, Harry Potter thought as he sipped his lukewarm Earl Grey tea. He tilted his chair back in a practiced movement and closed his eyes to enjoy nature. It has been many, many years since the death of Voldemort. The Death Eaters were died deaths of various degrees of gruesomeness, their families disgraced or exiled.

Life continued normally for the next half a century- Ginny gave birth to a grand total of four children, three boys and one girl. Ron was recruited by the Chudley Cannons as keeper- the man couldn't have been happier. Hermione eventually rose to become Head of the Unspeakables and helped modernize the Wizarding Society as a whole. Hermione and Ron eventually married and lived a full life with two children, Hugo and Rose. Luna and Neville too, married, and became the world's foremost experts on magical creatures and herbology, respectively. Heck, even Draco Malfoy eventually found a twisted fairytale ending of his own- he married Astoria Greengrass and fathered a pair of twins- Lucius and Narcissa.

What about himself, Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, Man-who-Vanquished, the Master of Death? The man known as Harry Potter became the youngest Minister of Magic at the age of twenty-five and reigned for one hundred years. During his term, Britain became the magical world's financial and scientific center. Several dark lords tried to rebel against Minister Potter's reign, but they were all struck down quickly and efficiently. Really, by the time Minister Potter stepped down, Dark Lords were nothing more than attention-craving frauds. At the end of his one hundredth year in office, Minister Potter officially retired from office, passing his position to Theodore Remus Lupin, his grand-godson.

Minister Potter then promptly vanished from the Magical World, presumably retiring to a resort in the Scottish countryside. That, was three hundred years ago. Now at the ripe old age of four hundred and twenty-five, he looked not a day older than twenty five.

Truthfully, he avoided looking in mirrors nowadays: it was very uncomfortable to have inanimate objects crush on him.

Since he was dead to the magical world, no one tended to bother him, which was exactly the way he liked it. He contented his life with the maintenance of his pristinely white mansion and the surrounding misty forest. Many species of magical flora and fauna are found nowhere else on the planet but in his carefully monitored forest.

On wistful days, he liked to think that Luna would have been proud.

So for the next century, Harry's life settled into a comforting lull. That was, until Death dropped by for afternoon tea.

"So let me get this right. You want me to assassin this nut called Azrael who's trying to take over your job." Harry asked skeptically.

"Mhm." Death sipped his tea, the tea cup disappearing somewhere behind the dark hood of his cloak. A wicked looking scythe leaned on the side of the tea table. In the back of his mind, Harry made a note to scrub the teacup clean with bleach.

"And you, the almighty God of Death can't do it." Harry said.

"Nope. The Creator made a couple of cardinal rules for us Gods. Not a lot, but the most important one is that Gods cannot interfere with humans. Of course, there is nothing against humans messing with humans on the gods' orders". Death explained while reaching one blackened head towards a lemon scone.

"So you want me to pretty much be your hit man for a while." Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Assassin", Death corrected. "You don't have much else to do anyways- well, do you?"

Harry mumbled something beneath his breath that could have been either a "no" or "bleach".

Death sighed. "Mortals. Always so finicky. It's not like I'm not paying you; the rule of Equivalent Exchange says that I must pay you something of equal value. So what do you want, oh Master of Death?" Death snarked.

Harry thought. Who knew that Death had a sense of humor? Now that he thought of it, there really _wasn't_ anything particular that he wanted.

While Harry was busy thinking, Death reached for another lemon scone.

"I want to be able to see the absolute truth." Harry said. Death grinned.

That was a while ago- the crazy nut that Death told him to assassin was pathetically easy to kill. Kindly, Death gave him a gun to play around with. Apparently it used to belong to his last Assassin- a Train something. At the time, Harry shrugged and just shot the dude point blank. Oddly enough, the bullet made an 'X' mark when entering the unfortunate fool's skull.

Over the years, Death has become a somewhat half-constant house guest slash free loader. Usually the guy visited just out of boredom, but the hit orders were always given in the Death Realm- never on Earth. Harry lost count of how many orders he had taken from Death after the first ten years; he only knew that the Underground labeled him "X", after his calling card of sorts. Beyond that, they knew absolutely nothing. Zilch.

Sometimes, Harry wondered why Death just won't let him die. When he asked, Death shrugged it off. "I don't want you in my realm. You would probably end up turning the place upside down in some statistical anomaly of an accident. Even if you pass off the Hallows, I'd still keep you immortal. Plus who would make me lemon scones if I died?"

Now enjoying his afternoon tea without Death's presence (thankfully), Harry was planning on a pleasant rest of the day filled with gardening and herb harvesting. Maybe a hippogriff ride or two would be pleasant. The chocobos also need to be fed sometime this week.

Unfortunately, his plans were promptly thrown out the window when Death came a-calling. Again. Via a white dove flying through the window. Again. Which means another hit order. Yet again.

Gently, Harry removed the rolled up piece of parchment from the dove's leg. Unrolling it with a mental grimace, he read:

"H.O., K. C., 17:00".

The Master of Death translated the order- meet him at King's Cross for to collect his hit order at 17:00... which gives him around two hours. Which means he has two hours to do his week's chores- how troublesome.

Gracefully, Harry set his tea cup down and got up. With a haste borne out of necessity, he headed off towards the chocobo stables.

"So you wanted to see me?" Harry called out from his spot behind one of the brick pillars at King's Cross, otherwise known as Limbo.

"Obviously." Death drawled. He suddenly appeared in front of Harry, sharpened scythe in hand.

"You are to kill off the teenage psychopathic menace known as Kira. His name is Light Yagami, age sixteen, resides in the Kanto region of Japan." Death drew out a picture of the target in question and handed it to Harry.

Harry drew a deep breath in shock. It was like seeing Tom Riddle all over again. This boy has Tom's soul- with his Gift, Harry can See all of time- the past, the future, the present. Above all, he can see the Strings of Fate, tangled and convoluted in a never-ending disaster of a tapestry. Light Yagami has Tom Riddle's string, frayed and black.

Death continued regardless of Harry's reaction. "He has taken on the alias of Kira- Killer- and claimed to be God of a New World where justice is served. In the past couple months alone he has killed several thousand people before their proper time. His weapon of choice is a Death Note dropped by C-class shinigami, Ryuuk. Feel around a bit and you will know why I called you here."

Harry could tell that Death was Pissed if he called him here- usually the hit orders were reserved for truly dastardly individuals beyond any redemption. He really needed no other excuse to go after Kira- the boy had Riddle's soul, and that was the end of that. But still, Gods tend to be rather short-tempered, so he did as Death asked and closed his eyes. When he opened again, his knew that his eyes were no longer the vibrant green that they have been for the past four and a quarter centuries- they were now a deep obsidian black.

But oh he could _see_. All around him, glowing white strings that wrap around anything and everything. So very beautiful but yet so fragile. Harry raised his hands and gently tugged on several strings. Immediately, time and fate bowed to him. He sifted through all the visions of the future with practiced eased. Half a second later, he paled. Dear God! The boy was even _worse_ than Riddle! At least Riddle had a modicum of decency!

"Now you see?" Death asked- he picked up his scythe and twirled it leisurely. "After you kill Kira, you are to sort out the situation in the Shinigami Realm. It has been a long time since I have set foot in that world, and the shinigamis have gotten lazy. Do me a favor and give the King there a kick in the ass."

Now Harry grinned. This should be fun- whipping a bunch of shinigami (aka the grunt workers of the Death Realm) into shape. Oh yes, he's going to have lots of fun with that one.

"That's it. Don't come back until you're done sorting out the situation in that dump. Oh, and pick up a lemon meringue pie for me in Japan, will you? Those things are to die for." Death rubbed his hands together.

Harry briefly wondered about Death's apparent lack of maturity- must be a deity thing. He was then promptly (somewhat rudely) thrown out of Limbo and back to Earth.

Mandy: This is the original draft idea for my fic, Clarity on a Monday Night. The following are stories/ficlets/idea drafts that I've written in the past but never published. They haven't been beta-ed or anything, so please excuse the grammar. These ideas aren't up for adoption, but I figured that my readers would probably want to read them anyways. Let me know what you think of them, okay?


	2. HP and FMA 1

"Two small carrots, sliced. Three medium-sized russet potatoes, quartered. Half a sweet onion, sliced. Two cloves of garlic, minced. Two medium beef steaks. Sauté the minced garlic in olive oil on high for one minute, then add in the sliced sweet onion and cook until they are halfway cooked. Take out the onions and garlic and add the steaks. Turn the heat down to medium and slowly roast them, turning them periodically. Once the steaks are browned but still raw, add the potatoes, carrots, garlic, and onion. Add water if needed. Once the potatoes are cooked through, take everything out of the pan and serve on individual plates. Save the gravy for later use." Ed read out loud. He held Marco's research notes, which were disguised as recipes, in his hands.

"There are five ingredients, so maybe a pentagram design? That would confirm our calculations. They're listed out of order though. Save the gravy... What could that mean? All the other recipes had a sauce of some sort too... soy sauce, Worchester Sauce, mayonnaise..." Al mused and cocked his head to the side in confusion. It was a very odd action for a suit of armor, but he didn't seem to realize.

Ed's body slumped down on the table in exhaustion, and he sighed. Six days. It has been six days since he got his hands on those notes, perhaps through sheer dumb luck, but he had done it. Six days, and he still haven't gotten anywhere. Oh sure, they've managed to coax out tiny morsels from the pieces of paper alright, but the key ingredient and the whole array are still missing. Darn that Marcoh! Why couldn't he have made the code easier to crack?!

Ed rubbed his head and got up. He stretched his arms, then his neck, and lastly, his waist. It was late at night, and his two guards were sleepy anyways. "Al, I'm going to take a walk. I'll be back in half an hour or so." Hopefully, the comfortable night air will clear his mind. Goodness knows he could use any help at this point- he was certainly desperate enough.

"Okay, Brother. Be careful." Al waved his hand in goodbye and picked up another stack of notes.

Ed pushed his chair back and walked out, giving a nod to Sergeant Brosh on his way out.

Central was as busy as ever. Cars were racing down the streets, crisscrossing every corner of the bustling city. Laughter and sounds of chatting filled the air, even at this hour of the night. Little fireflies fluttered in the darkness- as beautiful and as ephemeral as fairies. Slowly he made his way to the nearby plaza, where people gather around cafe tables and benches. Usually, he avoided people- he could deal with one person. One person is exactly that- one person. A crowd of people, on the other hand, is an animal with neither sense nor identity. But tonight, he purposely made his way toward the animal. Just for tonight, Ed wanted to remind himself what being with other people is like. Perhaps even let his troubled thoughts drain away, so he may lose himself within the mass of people. Maybe even pretend to be a normal person without the weight of the world upon his shoulders.

Ed was at the entrance of the plaza when he suddenly hear a woman near him shout loudly.

"There's a person falling from the sky!"

Ed's first reflex was to dodge, but the absurdity of the statement made him pause. There's a _what_ falling from _where_? Unfortunately, he dodged a little too late- a wall of pain slammed into his back; the world faded to black.

* * *

Ed's consciousness slowly roused from its sleep; his eyelids seemed heavier than usual- heavier than lead, even. He groaned in pain and tried to lift his eyelids with little success. His automail worked perfectly though, much to his relief. Even without opening his eyes, he knew that he was back in the hotel room, on his bed. The fan overhead spun leisurely, making soft swooshing sounds. The bed he was lying on was soft- a softness that he has grown familiar with over the past week.

"Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?" An unfamiliar voice said. The voice was a light tenor with a slight twinge of an unfamiliar accent.

The thought of an unfamiliar presence in his room woke him up quicker than ice water. Adrenaline shot through his veins, and before his mind could catch up to his body, he threw his covers in the general direction of the voice and leapt into his usual fighting stance. Ed blinked, but did not loosen his stance.

The unknown figure struggled and flailed for a moment before untangling himself from the confining cloth.

"Ouch. Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. Sheesh, you'd think the world was out to get you or something." The mysterious male sounded annoyed. Ed studied the figure in front of him carefully. The male looked to be around Ed's age, maybe a little older. Unruly dark brown hair stuck up at various angles, and lithe muscles pushed away the last of covers. The brightest green eyes Ed has ever seen peered directly at his own golden ones.

Upon receiving no reply, the teenager continued, seemingly concerned. "What is the last thing you remember? You hit your head pretty hard."

Yeah, thanks to you, Ed thought to himself. "I went out for a walk and some idiot fell out of the sky and knocked me out."

The man barked out a laugh. "Knocked you out alright- your sternum, left collarbone, and three of your ribs were cracked. Sorry 'bout that."

Now it was Ed's turn to be annoyed. Of all people for this man to fall on, it had to be on him. Seriously, the probability of a person falling out of the sky and landing to him was next to none. Oddly enough, Ed didn't feel any pain at all. Unless his nerves are dead or the man was lying (which Ed doubted since he recalled how intense the pain was), he should be in a world of agony right about now. So why wasn't he? He wasn't all bandaged up either, and the sudden movement didn't hurt him at all.

"What happened?" Ed asked instead.

"To me, or to you? Well, I guess I'll start with you first, since your part's simpler." The man ran a hand through his hair with practiced ease. So a nervous gesture or habit of sorts. "Well, I kind of landed on you, and since you got knocked out, I carried you to a bench in the plaza and tried to find out which bones you cracked. While I was doing that, a blonde man in a military uniform came up to me and said that he's been looking for you. He was rather worried when he saw you knocked out. I told him that I lived in one of the apartments overlooking the plaza and that I slipped when I was trying to trim one of my vines and landed on you. Well, I lied, actually. He was the one who carried you to the hotel. He only let me follow you since I told him I was a doctor of sorts. I lied about that too, actually. I'm really an alchemist, you see. He carried you to your bed, and I started healing your injuries. I met your brother, by the way. He seemed exasperated and worried about you. He saw me healing you and seemed rather fascinated by my work, so he wouldn't let me leave." The man explained.

Ed had a disbelieving look plastered on his face. Sergeant Brosh really would believe anything you said to him. When the man mentioned alchemy, he immediately checked the floor. No chalk marks.

"Go on. What really happened to you? People don't fall out of nowhere." Ed urged him on, suddenly curious about the skilled alchemist.

"Well" the man seemed hesitant, "My godfather was trying to play a prank on me; he threw me out the Gate and made it so that I'd land in the sky and freefall my way down to the ground." The man scowled upwards at the ceiling.

Ed gave him a blank stare. Surely he was hearing this wrong. His mind reached an ominous conclusion. Maybe he really did hit his head too hard; after all, there are many gates, right? "Who _are_ you?" he demanded.

The man grinned, which was a very, very scary sight. It sent icy pangs of fear down Ed's spine and to every nerve in his body. "I'm glad you asked. I am what you call "the world." I am "Space." I am "God." I am the "Truth." I am "All." I am "One." And I... am "You." The man... no, the being, whispered closely to Ed.

Ed was in shock. That man repeated what the Truth said to him, word for word. No one else knew; he had never repeated what It said to him to anyone. It felt like every emotion he had ever experience suddenly flooded him all at once, tenfold. The absurdity of it all finally dawned on him, and his body collapsed under the tide of emotions: Ed burst out in laughter. He laughed, he laughed, he laughed. He kept laughing and laughing. Then he stopped. "Bullshit." He accused.

The Truth rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone keep saying that? Fine. Your left leg has an inch and a half scar right below the knee. You have a circular birthmark above your fourth toe on your left leg. Your right arm's pinky is slightly crooked. Your right outer elbow has a mole. Need I continue?" He asked sarcastically.

"No, I'm good." Ed would deny it until the day he died, but he _squeaked_.

"Good." The Truth smiled at him and got up. "Alphonse is probably worried sick by now. I'll go get him. Oh, by the way, you may call me Harry." He promptly walked out the door and kicked it close behind him.

For a while, Ed sat, stupefied. The Truth fell from the sky. The Truth fell on _him_. The Truth looks like a perfectly normal human being. The Truth is called _Harry_. Just exactly how bizarre is his life going to be?

"Brother, how are you feeling?" Al gently pushed open the door.

"Like I got a good night's sleep, surprisingly...and maybe a bit weirded out." Ed's mouth move on its own accord, his brain on autopilot.

"Brother?" Al waved a large armored hand in front of Ed's face.

"Stop that." Ed said, annoyed. He casually swatted the hand away. The usual grumpiness was back.

"Just checking." Al sounded playful, even though he couldn't physically grin.

An awkward silence filled the small hotel room as the fan swirled on.

"So... Is that what the Truth looks like?" Al asked awkwardly.

"No. He was much more..." Ed couldn't find the right word to describe the odd, creepy, amorphous form that he saw; he tried to use his arms to illustrate what the Truth looked like. Al looked at him in confusion. An upside-down octopus? "Well, he wasn't called Harry either."

"Haha, I would assume not. Did you notice the way he said his name?" He whispered. Many people didn't realize this, but Al was even better at reading people than Ed. As a suit of armor, people can't read his body language in return.

"Yeah." Ed looked thoughtful. "He sounded like he hasn't said that name in a while. That's his real name- I'm sure of it." Both of them had heard and taken enough aliases to hear the voice enunciation difference between true names and fake names.

Then the brothers stopped to ponder about what was said. The Truth had a name? The Truth had a name? The _Truth_ had a _name_.

Ed held his forehead; this _Harry_ person was giving him a headache. "Okay. We've got to stop trying to find logic in any of this. Six hours ago, we couldn't even imagine the Truth having a _face_ , let alone a name."

Al gave a weak chuckle. "It's just so hard to believe that this is all happening. Brother, you can't seem to take care of yourself at all."

Ed grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms. "It's not my fault he came crashing out of the sky. Besides, I'm fine now." His mind picked over everything that Harry said. "How did he heal me anyways? There weren't any transmutation marks; most alchemists do not mess with the human body."

"Actually, that's why I asked him to stay. All he did was touch you on the collarbone, and then it was healed. He did that with the other fractures too! No transmutation circle, no sound, nothing. I'm not sure if it's alchemy, even." Al said unsurely.

Ed tsked and rubbed his head. "That man is such a headache!"

Al laughed. "You've only met him just now, Brother."

"That doesn't make him any less troublesome." Ed sighed for what felt like the upteenth time. "How are the notes going?"

Al shook his head. "No luck, Brother."

Ed got up and dusted his pants. "We'd better get back to it tomorrow then. I've got some questions to ask our unwelcomed guest."

Al nodded. "Don't stay up too late, okay? You were injured, after all."

Ed flashed Al a grin. "Don't worry; I won't." He walked out the door and closed it behind him.

* * *

It took Ed a while to find where the Truth was; for a while, he thought that the man had left. Ed's mismatched feet carried him upstairs to the roof, where he found the previously amorphous being. The sight that greeted Ed made him rub his eyes. Harry, as he prefers to be called, was absolutely surrounded in fireflies. Fireflies everywhere- on his messy hair, clinging to his hooded jacket, on his knees, on his shoes, even on his hands and nose. Oddly enough, the man didn't seem to mind the miniature winged lanterns.

Ed stayed where he was and observed the dream-like scene in silence. Slowly, the man opened his eyes and spoke softly- to the bugs.

"The night is ending soon. Thank you for visiting me," he smiled gently at the cloud of insects "Good luck!" he said and one by one, the bugs left him, chasing the receding night.

Harry turned his attention on Ed, who was still standing by the stairs. He gestured for Ed to take a seat, which he did. "So... I assume you have some questions? I'd be surprised if you didn't actually." He chuckled, "You alchemists are so interesting; no matter how hard or horrible, you keep searching for the truth." He looked up and observed the lightening sky. "Ask what you will. Whether or not I will answer is another matter."

Ed swallowed nervously, gathering up his courage. "Why are you here?" he asked curiously. "Who's guarding the gate if you're here?" he continued, counting the questions with his fingers. "Why did you heal me?"

Harry looked unfazed by the questions. "Now isn't that the million dollar question?" he said, referring to the first question Ed asked. He laid down on the roof.

"My godfather is guarding the gate- well, at least he was my godfather when I was alive, a good couple of millennia ago. Now he's just a soul in the Gate. Nonetheless, I pulled him out, sat him down, and told him I need a favor. He agreed to help me, but the asshole laughed and tossed me out the Gate. Bastard" he said fondly.

Ed seemed surprised that the Truth was human once upon a time. It's one thing to suspect, and another to confirm.

Harry continues as if he did not notice Ed's surprise. "As for why I healed you... That's the right thing to do right? At least according to human morals. I fell on you and broke your bones, so it's only right for me to heal the damage I dealt- especially since you were kind enough to break my fall." He said sarcastically. "It wouldn't have killed me if you dodged though. I'm the Truth; I can't die even if I wanted to." He looked wistfully at the sky.

Immortality. Here was the key to immortality- a true immortal. How? Ed's mind burned with the desire to know, but he had a hunch that the man would not answer.

"Why I am here... that's a very good question. The main reason is you." He said, shocking Ed. "In the future, you would pursue the Philosopher's Stone. It would lead you and the people around you into a spiraling path of pain and misery. You and your friends ended up saving the world, did you know that? Yeah, you guys did, but all of you paid a hefty price for it. You ended up getting Alphonse's body back, but not your leg. Both of you got married and had a couple of kids each. Mustang eventually became Fuhrer; he changed things around quite a bit. Everything was fine for, and both of you settled down quite nicely. The problem was, you overpaid me. You ended up getting what you want, but neither of you used the Philosopher's Stone to get it. You ended up giving me something much more valuable; by the law of Equivalent Exchange, I'm supposed to give you a refund of sorts. I accepted it at the time because you offered it" he shrugged. "There's also the saving the world part that I have to settle. Basically, it's your fault I'm here."

Ed could hardly believe what he was saying. This was his future? Yet, he felt a surge of happiness well up inside his soul. He would get Al's body back! He could do it. He could. It was hard to believe that him, a child of sixteen from Risembol could save the world. Heck, even Bastard Colonel got his dream. Sure, the Truth would not answer what he paid, but that was fine- any price would be fine. He felt his heart soar. Suddenly, the notes didn't seem to matter so much anymore.

Harry seemed amused. "Come back down from Cloud Nine, boy. That _was_ going to be your future. It's not anymore. For one, I'm not going to wait for you mortals to save the world; you guys take far too long. Also, that way I won't have to pay you anything. As for the other parts of your future... who knows? I'm here to change things, so what happens to you from here on out is not going to be the same. You are an interesting human, really. In the end, you were the only person to defeat me. You were the only person who passed through the Gate so many times. It has gotten quite fond of you." Harry got up nimbly and stretched in a rather feline manner.

Then he suddenly turned serious. "You guys haven't cracked Marcoh's code yet, right? Give it up." Ed leapt up to object, but his legs acted on their own- they folded and shifted back into a sitting posture. "Sit back down, Edward. I was not finished." Harry continued as if taking command of someone else's body was something he did on a daily basis. "You won't want to know what's in Marcoh's research. There's a reason why he tries so hard to repent, you know. He was right to call it the devil's research. You two won't use it anyways- especially not if you know how they are made. It's not something that children should know." His eyes were shadowed pits of green, his faced pinched. Ed looked at him, baffled.

"Anyways, don't worry your pretty little head over it. I'll be staying in the room next to yours." He said nonchalantly and held up Ed's wallet.

"Who are you calling a micro-mini little speck of dust?! And give me back my wallet, you bastard!" Ed shouted after him. Harry only laughed in reply.

* * *

In his own room (which he rented using Ed's money, much to the blonde boy's anger), Harry was well aware of the eyes watching him from the shadows. He took off his jacket and massaged his shoulders- a very human-esque gesture. Before the shadow could retreat, Harry caught onto one of the tendrils. Clearly, the shadow was surprised.

"Good morning, Pride. It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry to say that you can't see what's going to happen next. Say hi to that father of yours for me, will you? I'll be coming for him soon enough." Harry whispered darkly to the shadow.

"Obliviate." He said.

The shadow grew limp in his hand, and Harry let go. He knew that Pride would be back; however, he had put enough power into the Obliviate spell to knock out a whale for a week. Even for a homunculus, it should buy him several hours of time.

Moving quickly, Harry withdrew a small hidden knife that he strapped to his calf. In a practice gesture, he carved a simple five point star into the flesh of his palm and pressed it to the floor. The scarlet blood seeped into the floorboards and quickly spread.

"I call thee from thy slumber, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance, Prudence, Charity, Hope, and Faith. Answer thy creator's call; appear before me, for I have need of you." Harry chanted.

He waited for a while and then lifted his palm off the floor. No blood remained, and the floorboards looked as if they had been freshly waxed and cleaned.

Harry stood up; seven blurs immediately surrounded him in a circle. They knelt. He supposed it was only fitting that he would call on the seven virtues when faced with the seven sins. He had created them when the entire world had be obliterated and created anew, with him as the Truth. He gave the virtues their own bodies, their own minds, and their own immortality in hopes that they would be the pillars for the new world. It was a silly dream, in hindsight. Humans could never survive in a world free of sin. As long as there was light, there would be darkness. As long as there was virtue, there would be sin.

"Master." They greeted him in unison.

Harry smiled at them. "Dear children, how are you?"

Justice, a stern man of thirty three (or so he appears), answered him. "We have been doing well, Master. What brings you here?" he asked with a completely straight face. Fortitude, who was beside Justice, rolled his eyes and yawned silently.

"Someone overpaid me big time. I'm here to give him a refund, I guess. Well, I should thank him and his friends for saving the world the first time around, even if I'm here to prevent them from having to so again. Magic's not exactly pleased at me for letting things drag on for so long, so I have to stop the homunculi permanently." Harry explained and conjured seven chairs and for the Virtues.

Quickly, Harry debriefed them all on what would have happened in the future along with who the seven homunculi are. He also told them the Sins' abilities, looks, personalities, and purposes. Lastly, he explained the strategy that he chose and when he needed each of them.

By the time he finished, all seven of the newly awakened beings looked rather thoughtful. Several of them offered their opinions and suggestions, many of which sparked discussions. Eventually, Harry conjured a large map of Amestris and a jar of pins. Exactly two hours and sixteen minutes later, everyone sat back and nodded. They knew what to do.

Harry thanked and dismissed them. Then, he smirked evilly. Let the games begin.

* * *

"So you know what the stones are made of now. Are you happy now?" Edward was unruffled by Harry's entry through the window.

The boy continued to sulk, his eyes downcast. Neither of the brothers replied him.

Harry sighed and rubbed his head. "I told you guys not to dig. It would be best if you just left this mess well alone, especially since I'm here to sort everything out."

Silence. Seeing how both of them seemed rather lifeless, he waved his arm and conjured a steaming hot meal. Both brothers looked surprised to see the laws of physics so blatantly broken, but did not speak.

"Eat." He said to Edward. "Don't make me take over your body again, brat. You won't like it." Reluctantly, the boy accepted the offered meal and started picking at it.

The older teen's eyes softened, and he sat down on the floor next to Al.

"It can't be helped, I guess." He cracked a smile when he saw Edward eating ferociously. "You've got to take better care of your body, you know."

Edward put his fork down with a clatter, catching Harry's attention. "Do you... hate us?" He asked Harry quietly

Al looked down and hugged his knees.

Harry looked at both brothers. "No, I don't. I might not like what you have done, but I don't hate you. Neither of you. You had your reasons; I understood them. You knew the rules; you broke them. The consequences are yours to face. Still, you guys are just kids." Harry got up and faced Al. He laid a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Have faith in what you can do. Humans make mistake- that much I know. Hell, I made mistakes when I was human too, a long time ago." He smiled at Al.

He silently walked up to Ed and ruffled his hair. "I know what both of you can do; I've seen what the future could be. It's yours, if you want it. Nothing is impossible." Ed shoved his hand away gruffly and began fixing his hair. Harry laughed.

"Besides, you two kids saved the world before you even hit twenty. Chins up, okay? This won't be the worst secret you'll find." He sat back down and watched the fan above them spin.

A loud commotion jolted the three of them out of their reveries. The brothers suddenly flinched; Ed's face suddenly drained of color.

A rhino? Harry thought sarcastically as he watched the doorknob wobble and squeak in pain. Before long, the door itself broke.

"I have come, Edward Elric!" It was no rhino, but a man... with sparkles and curly blonde hair.

He blinked at the movable blonde mountain in front of him and turned to Edward. "Who's the nutjob?" Harry asked.

* * *

Introductions didn't go that well. It started innocuously enough- names. "I'm the Truth" didn't exactly sit too well with the Strong Arm Alchemist. Like with Edward, he had to reveal several Armstrong family secrets for the man to believe him (the Elrics, of course, were listening in). However, the shock part took a while to settle down.

"The Truth..." Edward mumbled, reacting to something Major Armstrong said.

"Yes?" Harry drawled from beside him.

"No, not you." Edward replied absentmindedly, causing Harry to pout and sulk. "The Truth behind the Truth... That was what Marcoh said." Harry sighed.

"I thought I told you brats to drop it. Why wouldn't you stubborn fools just take my advice for once? It's the only thing I'll offer for free."

"Since you're warning me to stop, that means I'm on the right track." Edward said, completely ignoring Harry's advice and twisting it into something else entirely.

Harry sulked through the discussion.

* * *

"You again?!" Edward pointed and shouted (quietly) at Harry, who had his arms crossed leisurely above his head. "How did you get in?!" The brothers had snuck out of their hotel room against the adults' advice and have successfully infiltrated Laboratory Five.

"Yes, me." He rolled his eyes. "I teleported." He shrugged at the Elrics' huge-eyed stares at his disregard for physics.

"You teleported." Harry nodded. "You know what? Forget this. We're not going back."

"Oh I know. I'm not here to convince you to go back- not when you've made it this far. I've got other business in Laboratory Five." Harry said matter-of-factly. "Don't get too roughed up, okay?" With a wave, he disappeared. The Elrics blinked, rubbed their eyes, and then blinked some more.

"Forget breaking the laws of physics; he eats them for dinner," grumbled Edward. Al laughed quietly.

Harry gracefully sidestepped the debris lying in the abandoned, but well lighted, hallways. His steps made no sound as his legs led him to the library. He yanked open the dusty door and grinned at the sight of the tomes in front of him.

Harry quietly pricked his finger and dropped two drops of blood onto the ground. "Hope? Faith? I need your help."

Two blurs appeared before him. "Yes Master?" They said in unison. The twins looked up at Harry with large childish eyes.

Harry petted them on the head while ignoring the commotion. "I need you two to remove all the books in the library- quickly. The whole place will collapse in the next fifteen minutes. Take them back to one of the pocket dimensions for me to deal with later, okay?"

He got a nod and grin each. They would take care of it. He got up and let his feet take him to the next place he needed to go: the array on the wall.

* * *

"Well then... We don't need to make a stone here anymore, so shall we blow up the evidence?" Envy said casually to Lust. They made their way to the back to the laboratory, where the array was etched in stone.

Suddenly, the two paused; there was another person there. The two immediate went defensive. The fullmetal brats were one thing, but a stranger here was another.

"Who are you?" Lust asked. Her nails elongated.

"Cozy place, right? You must be Lust" he nodded to her, earning a snarl in reply "and Envy." The homunculus tsked at him.

"You know too much." Envy accused. Neither of them made a move since the stranger was completely relaxed.

"I do indeed. Tell your father I said hello, will you? I'll be coming for him soon enough." He grinned eerily.

" _You_! You're the one who knocked out Pride!" Envy blurted out in surprise. Lust frowned.

"I am. He deserved it, sticking his eyes where they don't belong." Harry shrugged. "I'm not here to fight, you know." He said pointedly, staring at Lust's nails.

"Nonetheless, you know too much." Lust moved in a flash, her nails aiming for his vitals.

"Down, Tiger." She was fast, he admitted, but he was faster still. He gripped her nails; on contact, they turned to dust. She gasped in surprise and snarled. She drew back while Envy sprung forth with a punch.

Harry dodge and kneed Envy in the gut, exactly where he kneed Ed. "Have a taste of your own medicine, will you?" Envy too, withdrew.

"Like I said, I'm not here to fight, and I doubt you could kill me anyways." He said, looking perfectly normal after the scuffle.

"Tell your father that the Truth will be coming for him." He turned his back to the homunculus. Envy leapt at his exposed back; Harry dodged effortlessly and flipped Envy. "See ya. " With a cheeky wave, he teleported away, leaving two stunned homunculi behind him.

* * *

"You're in the hospital again." Harry waltz in with a bag of cookies and a basket of fruit. "What happened to you? I recall telling you _not_ to get too beat up."

Ed gave have a deadpan stare. "I know." He mumbled through his bandages. "Major Armstrong happened" He scowled, but Harry did not notice it through the layers of bandages.

"He hugged you?" Harry raised an eyebrow; maybe he left this world alone for too long. People here are really weird. Ed nodded. "Haha, he's a big teddy bear on the inside, isn't he?" He smiled. "Anyways, I brought you a basket of fruits. It's what visitors bring to patients in the hospital, right?" He set the basket of fruits on the table next to Ed.

"How did you buy it?" Ed asked curiously. He was sure the man hadn't stolen his wallet this time.

"Oh that!" (Yes, that, Ed thought) "I made some money, of course!" Harry started eating his cookies; they smelled divine.

"You got a job?!" Ed gasped, or at least tried to. Strangely enough, Alphonse gave no reaction.

"Don't be absurd. I didn't earn the money: I made it." Harry said matter-of-factly. He demonstrated by snapping his fingers and holding out a bag in the air. Coins and notes literally _fell out of the air_ into the bag.

Of course, miracles and all that, Ed thought. "How do you do that? Where's the equivalent exchange in that?"

Harry finished his first cookie and reached for a second one. "I just do. Perks of the job, I guess you could say. There is no equivalent exchange because I'm not using alchemy."

"Then what are you using?" Ed's scientific mind was on overdrive.

"Ah, now that would be telling, wouldn't it?" Harry gave his trademark creepy grin, which immediately made Ed back off. Bad things happen when the Truth grinned, or so he has learned.

"Alphonse, are you alright?" Harry asked and laid a hand on the armor. The younger brother was oddly pensive.

"I'm fine." He said in a flat metallic tone. Harry frowned at him. If you say so, he thought.

The door creaked open, and both Harry and Ed turned their heads (or at least tried to, in that case) to the newcomers: Major Armstrong and a blond girl.

"No way!" She shouted, surprised. "I didn't hear anything about you getting hurt that badly!" She sounded worried.

Harry half-listened as Ed peeled away the bandages and gave the girl an explanation. Yup, Major Armstrong hugged him. Harry looked on as the two teenagers argued back and forth. Ah, young love, he thought wistfully.

"And who are you?" The girl, who was holding an abacus, turned her attention to Harry. He blinked back into reality.

"I'm Harry Potter. I'm an alchemist friend of Ed and Al's; I met him not long ago at the plaza down town." He smiled at her. To the side, Edward seemed a bit put off by the simplified version of his introduction. Met would be a bit of an understatement anyways.

"Oh, it's nice for Ed and Al to finally make some friends here. I'm Winry Rockbell. I've been friends with those two ever since we were kids." She smiled and shook his hand.

The conversation then quickly veered off to an odd direction... about Ed's hatred of milk. Halfway through, Harry couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. His laughter interrupted Ed mid-rant.

"There's a very simple solution to all this drama," Harry gestured with a cookie in his hand. "Here, have this, Ed." He gave Ed the cookie in his hand, which was white and round.

Ed bit into it, chewed it for a bit, and swallowed. "It's good!" He exclaimed.

"Those are special milk cookies that I make." Harry said. "There's flour, sugar, butter, eggs, salt, vanilla, and a lot of milk. See? An elegant solution to your dilemma." Harry handed the bag in his arms to Edward, who seemed eager to taste some more cookies... but the bag was empty.

In his mild anger, Edward balled up the brown paper bag and threw it at Harry. It hit him straight in the face, but the being just laughed.

Even in the midst of such a heated exchange, everyone noticed when Alphonse left the room. Silence swept through the room like a northern gale.

"Al's been acting strange." Ed said seriously.

Naturally, everyone had their own theory.

"He got a crush?" Sergeant Brosh suggested after his initial idea was rejected.

"He's worried?" Winry was clearly concerned.

"He's being an irrational brat?" Harry suggested.

Ed sighed. While he was chewing over the theories (some of which he rejected immediately, such as the one Sergeant Brosh suggested), Winry finished Ed's automail maintenance.

Another person barged in through the doors; Ed seems to be rather popular today.

"Hey Ed, you getting it on with a woman in your hospital room?" Lieutenant Colonel Hughes asked tactlessly.

The statement was so sudden and out of place that Harry let out a laugh. Once again, Ed's side wound opened. At this rate, it's never going to heal, Harry thought amusedly.

"She's only my automail mechanic!" Ed gritted his teeth. Even his antenna stood straighter.

"So you seduced your mechanic." Hughes inferred much to Ed's frustration. "You'll open your wounds that way," he noted when Ed started agonizing over the misconception.

"Ah Winry, this guy is Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. Lieutenant Colonel, this is Winry Rockbell, my mechanic. That," Ed pointed towards Harry, who was still trying to hold in his laughter, "is Harry Potter, an alchemy acquaintance of mine." Ed lied through his teeth. Acquaintance his left foot.

"I'm Maes Hughes. Nice to meet you. Alchemy, huh? The military's desperately in need of State Alchemists. Any chance you'd be interested? " He smiled.

Harry laughed and shook his hand. "I'm Harry Potter. Pleased to meet you. Really? I didn't know. Nah, I'm a full time gatekeeper!" He grinned. To his side, Ed choked.

"Oh really?" Hughes exclaimed, "You're pretty young!"

"I'm a couple years older than Ed here." He smiled. Ed looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. A couple of years? Try a couple of millennia! "It's a bit of a family thing, you see. Plus, I love to travel. I go visiting different countries every couple of years."

The conversation carried on lightly, and to Harry's surprise, he found Hughes to be rather pleasant (aka normal) company. The conversation would have continued (Harry wisely avoided the topic of kids or wives) on for longer if Winry's living arrangements did not come up. Seeing Winry's hesitance at staying in military dorms, Hughes generously offered up his own house... more like kidnapped Winry away, but that was up to debate.

"Interesting company you keep", Harry noted once the kidnapped and the kidnapper were both gone.

Ed gave Harry with a flat look. "I don't want to hear that from a person who "goes to work" with a giant eye."

"Ah, touché."

* * *

"I didn't want to get this body!" Al shouted.

"Seems like I came at a wrong time." Harry mused. He had bumped into Winry on his way to the hospital.

"And what proof is there that you're going to restore my body?" Al ranted on, to the surprise of Hughes. Ed offered up an excuse, which Al brushed aside. "Trust, huh? You're telling me to trust what with this hollow body?" Al continued rather cruelly. "There was something you were scared to tell me before, right? Could that have been something like my soul and memories were totally fake?"

After several more minutes, Ed slammed his fist onto his meal tray. "Is that what you've been thinking the whole time?" Al nodded hesitantly. "I see." Ed walked out of the room silently. From his spot beside Hughes, Harry frowned. A silent Ed was much more dangerous than an angry Ed.

Wintry seemingly materialized a wrench and started hitting Al's armor. "Al, you dummy! You don't know how Ed feels! That thing Ed was too scared to tell you was that if you blamed him for what happened! In just what world is there an idiot who would be ready to throw away his life to make a fake little brother? Isn't he your only brother?" Winry was openly sobbing by the end of her lecture.

Harry took the opportunity to interject. "Do you honestly think it's that easy to tamper with a soul? Humans cannot create souls; what makes you think they can tamper with them? Are you really that desperate to restore your own body? Edward has been nice; he shoulders the responsibility himself and shields you from the truth." Harry whispered. His voice was colder than frost; his words were dripping with venom. "You're just as much at fault as Ed is. You helped him arrange the arrays. You added your blood to it. Don't pretend that this body wasn't your fault. You ought to be grateful to Ed; you wouldn't even be here if it isn't for him. Do you really want your body back?" Harry asked coldly. Behind him, Winry and Hughes looked uneasy. To the side, Sergeant Brosh shuddered."You can have it back if you give me your soul. Equivalent exchange, right?" Harry gripped the bottom of Al's head. "Don't be silly. I don't want to take another one of Ed's limbs. You know he'd give it up for you. Go chase after him. _Now._ "

Al ran like someone lit his loincloth on fire. Winry ran after him at a slower pace, while Harry and Hughes merely walked.

"You're not just a gatekeeper, are you?" Hughes said, pointing out the obvious.

"I'm a gatekeeper, just not the kind of gatekeeper you have in mind." Harry was unfazed.

Hughes stopped walking and turned around. "Just who _ARE_ you?" he demanded.

Harry smiled. "I assure you, you won't find me on the records. Rest assured- I mean no harm to the Elrics. If anything, they will not die, at least not on my watch. Ed had it coming; I told him more than once not to go into that lab, not to dig into the stone... Hughes, there are powerful people behind all this: the laboratory, the philosopher's stone... everything. Don't dig more than you have to. Be careful, okay? You've got a family waiting for you to come home." He continued walking.

Hughes, on the other hand, looked thoughtful. "But I never mentioned my family..."

* * *

Harry took out a pocket watch and flipped it open. Closed it. Flipped it open. Closed it. The rhythmic clicking of the pocket watch was a new found habit of his- it helped him think, calmed his thoughts. Harry looked at the open watch in his hands- nine thirty. Ed, Al, and Wintry should still be on the train, he thought. The train was an overnight one.

Hughes should still be pulling overtime, given the amount of evidence that Intelligence still has to sort though.

"Ah, that's right." Harry exclaimed. "Today's the day Hughes end up digging too deep. I thought I told him not to dig... I have a feeling he's not going to listen." Harry sighed.

"He really loves his daughter... " Harry mused. He got up from his seat and shook his head. "I'm such a bleeding heart." He muttered and disappeared.

It shouldn't take too much effort to track the man down. Every soul on planet passes through his hands at some point, and Hughes' one was no different. That particular soul was particularly excited to leave the Gate. While the process of extracting a soul from the Gate should have taken a year and a day, Harry had put that particular soul on the fast track, if only to get away from his perpetual boasting. His fellow souls probably would have kicked him out before long anyways. Each and every soul has a different feel, a different color, a different aura. Tracking a person by his or her soul was like taking candy from a babe- easy enough that he could do it blindfolded.

With a purposely loud pop, he appeared in front of a public phone booth. The booth was dimply lit by the street lamps; the street itself was deserted.

Looks like I came at just the right time, Harry thought. It seems like the appariation pop did its job- both Envy and Hughes turned to look at him. Not surprisingly, both of them looked at him like he grew a second head.

"You!" Envy shouted vehemently. In the guise of Second Lieutenant Ross, his face was twisted with anger.

"Me." Harry shrugged and walked over to them with a wave. "Careful, if you do that too much, you'll get wrinkles." He pointed to Envy's facial contortion. Envy spat at him.

"What are _you_ doing here?" He asked with a snarl. His finger never left the trigger, but Hughes seemed to be calculating his chances of escaping.

Harry rolled his eyes. "There's a coffee shop down the road. I didn't know it was illegal for me to get a cup of coffee. I simply dropped in to say hi." His voice dripped with sarcasm.

Envy closed in the distance between him and the frightened man. "Not going to do anything, are you? One move and this man goes." He held the gun up to the Hughe's head and grinned evilly.

Harry sighed. "You are so cliché. I don't have much time to waste on the likes of you." His voice turned serious and his eyes hardened. He looked down upon Envy like a human would a bug. Before the enraged homunculus could pull the trigger, he found himself without an arm.

"Looking for this?" Harry held up Envy's missing limb and pried the gun out. Once he got the gun, he tossed the limb into the bushes behind him.

"Tsk! I'll kill you!" Envy's voice turned deep, and his iris turned bright yellow. He held Hughes by the neck while his other arm regenerated. "Quit getting in our way, Bastard!"

Harry on the other hand, looked bored. "Look, I don't have time for this. The coffee shop closes in ten minutes, and I _need_ that Latte." He snapped his fingers, and Envy froze.

"Let Maes go, return back to your preferred form, step out of the phone booth, and return back to your father in Central. Tell him and Lust that you successfully killed Maes Hughes by imitating his wife." Harry commanded with absolute authority. "Oh, by the way, _Obliviate_. You killed Hughes; your job is done. Go away." Harry made shooing motions in Envy's general direction.

The arm around Hughe's neck loosened. Envy's entire body shook, trying to resist the commands, but he shifted back slowly. His hair lengthened, his features changed, his body changed, and before long, he back to his normal appearance. Envy's yellow eyes shone with hatred, but no sound came out of his snarling mouth. With one shaking step and another, Envy made his way out of the booth and out into the streets- he disappeared into the night.

Harry watched his retreating back and smirked in satisfaction. Not even a homunculus can resist the commands of the Truth. His body and the stone within him won't stand for it.

"Are you going to tell me who are really are now?"

Harry turned his attention back to the injured man, who was sitting on the floor in shock.

"In a bit. Your wounds need to be cleaned and dressed." Harry smiled and withdrew his bleeding hand from his pocket.

"Charity, if you will?" Harry addressed the empty air. Soon after the words left his mouth, the space around him blurred; a petite girl of thirteen appeared.

"Yes?" She curtsied. Hughes seemed beyond shocked beyond words at this point.

"Get Maes to a safe place, clean and bandage his wounds. I need to handle clean up here, and then I'll find you." He ordered kindly. "Hughes, I'll explain later. Right now I need to find to fake your death. The military is no longer a safe place for you."

Charity knelt and helped Hughes stand up. He slung his uninjured arm over her small shoulders. "Wait! What about my wife and child?"

"I will make sure they are safe." He said with conviction. Satisfied with the answer, Hughes let Charity teleport them both away.

"Prudence, Temperance, come." Harry said once more.

"Prudence, get me a dead body; I will transfigure it into Hughes. Temperance, track down Hughes' family and make sure they are safe."

The two virtues nodded in unison and promptly went off to complete their tasks.

Meanwhile, Harry leaned on the lamp post and conjured a cup of latte. "The café will be closed by the time I get to it..." he thought tearfully as his sipped his good, but not excellent, cup of conjured latte.

* * *

"Are you going to tell me who you are now?" was the first thing Harry heard when he arrived at the safe house.

Damn man's like a dog with a bone, Harry thought, annoyed. The safe house was actually more of a safe mansion; there really is no need to skimp when land and real estate are completely free. Pocket dimensions are nice like that.

Hughes was situated nicely in the spacious living room- sprawled on the couch, that is. With a sigh, Harry sat down and conjured a tea service and a pot of red tea. Hughe's eyes bulged to the point they looked like they were about to fall off.

"Maybe", Harry shrugged as he nibbled on miniature scone that he selected from the tea service. Hughes' look of utter amazement was fixated on the teapot as the previously inanimate object began pouring its content into two teacups.

"Do try some of that tea," Harry said as he sipped on his own cup. "It's not poisoned; I wouldn't have bothered to save you if I wanted you dead." He pointed out. Hesitantly, Hughes took the offer.

"I suppose you have questions. I may or may not have the answers."

"Who –no, what- are you?"

Harry physically rolled his eyes. That man has a one track mind, he thought.

"I'm Harry Potter the Gatekeeper, like I said before." Before Hughes could open his mouth, Harry held up a hand. "However, you are correct in assuming that I am not an ordinary person. I am what the alchemists call the Truth." Hughes turned whiter than a sheet.

"Ah, so you do know who I am; I'm guessing you won't need me to provide more evidence?" Hughes shook his head wordlessly. "Good. The gate I guard is simply known as the Gate. Alchemists who commit the ultimate sin- human resurrection- appear before it. They attain great knowledge and power through the Gate, but in return, they must give up something of equivalent value. Since I am the one in charge of the Gate, I am the one who decides upon their toll."

"Then the Elrics…" Hughes realized.

"They tried to bring their mother back from the dead." Harry said succinctly. "They knew that human resurrection is the ultimate sin, and they willingly committed it. The price is theirs to be paid."

"They were kids!" Hughes gasped as his sudden movement irritated his wound.

"Rules are rules," Harry said coldly. "Though I did allow Ed to exchange his leg for his brother's soul," Harry admitted hesitantly. "He should have known that souls are worth far more than just a limb."

"Why are you here?" He asked. He might not be an alchemist, but it didn't take one to know that gods don't just drop out of thin air on a daily basis. In fact, he counted himself very lucky to be breathing right now.

Harry mused over the question before answering, "The Elrics overpaid me –or will overpay me- in the future. To prevent that from happening, I have to interfere with the past –or the present."

Hughes let the matter drop reluctantly. "Where am I?"

"You are in the living room of my safe house. To be precise, you are in a pocket dimension that I created a while ago. For now, this will serve as a safe place for you to recover. Whatever you need, just think of it, and it will appear." Hughes' jaw dropped. Pocket dimension? He tried thinking of his beloved wife's apple pie, and one appeared in front of his eyes.

"Why did you save me?" He asked as a bite of the pie floated into his mouth.

"Because I wanted to." He said bluntly. "I assume you saw what the upper echelons of your esteemed government have planned?" He asked. Hughes grimaced and nodded. "Ed and Roy are bound to find out eventually; as it is, Roy will probably go on a crusade to find out who killed you. Those two aren't going to sit and watch without doing anything. They're going to barge in, guns ablazing, and save the day like they're meant to- both of them are living weapons of mass destruction. While Roy must have had some training in strategy and tactics as a commanding officer, his training is nothing compared to yours. In the future I was from- one which doesn't exist now- Roy and Ed managed to pull in the Armstrongs' help in their little coup d'etat." Harry said.

"Well, both of them," Harry added as an afterthought. Hughes raised an eyebrow; his friend pulled in Olivier's help? Those two despised each other with every fiber of their beings.

"My point is, they need your help to handle the aftermath. You may not know this, but everyone ranked Bridger General and above is involved in this." Hughes inhaled sharply. He did not know that the situation was that bad. "This entire country was created for the sole purpose of creating a Philosopher's Stone. Roy and Ed eventually found out about the plan and stopped this from happening, but the aftermath was too much. There was chaos everywhere, and with all the infighting, Amestris became vulnerable to hostile attacks. Roy and Ed quite literally turned the entire government on its head; this time, I'm hoping to prevent the aftermath."

"By sweeping everything under the carpet." Hughes finished. Harry nodded absently in agreement.

"There's no need for the public to know about this. The last thing we need is another lunatic popping up to finish the job. The military is rotten to the core, but we can arrange for the higher-ups to meet unfortunate accidents. That way the government will still be intact; non-corrupt officials can be promoted up, and no one will know any better."

Hughes nodded. "Now what's the other reason why you saved me?"

Harry paused while the man continued. "You obviously know more than I do; I doubt there's anything I can do that you can't. You went through a lot of trouble to save me," he gestured to his bandages. "The costs don't outweigh the benefits- not that I'm not grateful."

Harry sulked a little- "This would the reason you almost got yourself killed; you're too sharp for your own good." He sighed and looked away. "If it weren't for the Elrics, I wouldn't even have thought of saving you," he tried. Hughes cave him a deadpan look. "Roy's going to go off the deep end in ten years if you really die." Nope, Hughes didn't buy that excuse either. Harry sighed and gave in. "... Make no mistake- I don't like you. I've seen the things you have done- good and bad. I don't like people with eyes like yours. Yet despite all that you have done, you are a good father to your daughter and a good husband to you wife. I would hate to see a family like yours torn apart." He admitted quietly.

Hughes stared into his cup of tea, unable to respond to the confession. His lips quirked upwards in a wry, bitter smirk. Who knew God had feelings? He wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

After Hughes' bandage was changed again, Harry showed him around the safe house. Five minutes into the tour, Hughes was just about certain that his current residence was more of a manor than a house.

"-Here is your bedroom," Harry gestured, and the door flung open to reveal a large room with a king-sized four poster bed complete with what looked to be a large balcony and a walk-in closet. "The bathroom is right out the door on the right, and the library through the one on the left."

Hughes sarcastically wondered if he was on vacation.

"Since this is a pocket dimension, you can change the weather to your liking," Harry continued as the trees outside suddenly shifted from an autumn red to a vibrant summer green and back again.

"The kitchen is fully stocked and will automatically restock itself if you need it to- same with the rest of the supplies in the house." He walked slowly to adjust to Hughes' pace.

"The library is here-" a large pair of doors flung open on his hinges to reveal an endlessly large library. "It has just about every book and document ever written and published-only those of importance, of course. Again, just think of what you need, and the manor will fulfill the request." Hughes was in awe at the opportunity presented before him. "As you would expect, there is a lot of lost knowledge contained here, but the section you should pay attention to is this one." Harry gestured towards the bookshelves closest to the door. "Those contain the books I swiped from Laboratory Five along with the financial logs and communication records of every officer in the military."

"Of course, your recovery is of the utmost importance; you don't have to worry about time here since things work differently in this dimension. Once you have recovered fully, feel free to use the library as you wish." Harry didn't see the need to tell him to prioritize; after all, his friends' lives are on the line. He noticed that while the man was suitably awed, something still troubled him.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Harry asked dryly. Hughes blinked; what on Earth is a penny?

"Nevermind" Harry said, seeing how the joke was lost on the Amestrian. "Is something bothering you?"

"I won't be able to return to my family, will I?" He asked. At least he is smart enough to realize that part, Harry thought.

"Not for the moment, no. Returning you to your family will merely put them in danger. If the homunculi- the people who tried to kill you- realize that you are not dead, then they will come after you again. Next time they will probably not send someone as sloppy as Envy. At this point, the homunculi think that you are six feet underground- or soon to be, at any rate- and that your family is foolishly mourning you. By keeping up this charade, your family are of no consequence to the homunculi." Harry said.

"I see…" He whispered and glanced downwards.

"However, I can deliver letters to you after your funeral is over. I'm going to have to wait a month or two to make sure that the homunculi lose their interest. Or in Roy's case, do something completely drastic and unneeded. Don't worry; I will be able to sufficiently disguise myself. Envy's not the only one who can shift forms." Harry offered. To prove his point he took the form of a little redheaded girl and reverted back.

The man looked like he was about to bolt for the stationary at this point.

Harry calmly steered him away from the library and towards the living room.

"The last thing you need to know about this house is that there is a television here- a rather large flatscreen one. The technology will reach Amestris in about half a century or so. This television is special because it shows your friends' lives as they live them." Harry reached for the remote and hit the power button. The television flashed too life as Roy's channel flickered on. The man was sitting on his bed with a haunted look in his eyes. He was unshaven and unkempt; he stared listlessly at the wall.

"Hughes, my friend- I will find out who killed you and make them disappear." He echoed hollowly.

Harry grimaced. "As you can see, I wasn't joking about Roy going off the deep end without you." Hughes looked heartbroken. He flipped the channel – this time to Ed and Al's; they were on a train, with Winry, it seemed. The two blondes munched gleefully on apple pie as they discussed their plans. Harry turned to face Hughes, who looked to be close to tears.

"These events are one hundred percent real, Maes Hughes. I would advise you to leave this alone if you cannot handle knowing what is happening. I gave you this option so that you will not be disconnected to reality; however, when you get the urge to leave this safe house, remember why you are here in in the first place. If you absolutely need to contact me, just think of it, and the house shall convey the message to me. If it is of any comfort to you, know that I will not allow your friends or family to die until this mess is officially over. If it takes half a century, then I'd keep them alive for half a century." Harry said nonchalantly as if he was speaking of pawns in a chess game and not human lives. Hughes just stared numbly back. The human was gone, he thought as he stared at the emotionless eyes of the Truth. Yet, as abrupt as the change came over the youthful looking boy, it disappeared.

It was as if he was pretending to be something, Hughes contemplated.

He just can't decide if the boy was a human pretending to be a god or a god pretending to be human.

* * *

"It's so hot here…." Ed whined as he stretched his limbs after a long train ride.

"Ni-san, we should hurry before the store closes," Al pointed out gently.

"Ah," Ed agreed, "Let's-" he began when he suddenly saw a large shadow at his feet- one that was rapidly shrinking.

"Coming through!" Ed's heart sank to his stomach; he immediately stepped to the side and not a moment too late. Half a second later, a large body came free falling out of the air and landed on all fours with a thump. The man rolled upon impact and got up like he didn't just drop out of the sky.

"I told you I'd survive," Harry said boredly. "I see you've learned to dodge."

Ed bit back the urge to punch the infuriating person into tomorrow. "What are you doing here?" he growled.

"I see you guys have already dropped off Winry at Rush Valley; don't worry about her- she'll be fine." Harry said to Al while completely ignoring Ed.

"You're off to see your teacher now, right? Lead the way then," Harry smiled.

"Wait a minute- why should we?" Ed asked angrily.

"Because if you don't I'll just head there myself. It's not like I don't know where she lives." Harry shrugged. Ed refused to budge an inch; Harry sighed, muttering that sounded like "kids nowadays". "Look, relax, will you? If I wanted you dead, you would be here talking back at me. The free fall thing does not count; it's not my fault you didn't dodge. I'm not here to hurt anyone- sheesh. If anything, I'm probably going to be the one getting hurt since this is Izumi Curtis we are talking about. " Harry said exasperatedly. "The free fall thing does not count; it's not my fault you didn't dodge."

Slightly placated, Ed tsked and stomped away towards the Curtis' butcher shop, cursing Harry all the way.

"It's nice to see you again too," Harry said sarcastically. Al chuckled behind him as the duo jogged towards Ed's retreating back.

"Boss, we've got some special guests!" Mason shouted.

Harry raised an eyebrow at the two terrified Elrics. Nothing out of the ordinary here. He soon ate his words when a bear of a man ducked out of the doorway with a bloody butcher's knife in his hands. He took one look at Ed and began squishing him on the hand.

'What on Earth are these humans eating nowadays?' Harry thought as Al got a fond pat on the head. 'I must have been away for too long,' he reiterated.

"And who is this?" Sieg boomed. He turned to face Harry, who stared back up at him unflinchingly.

"I'm Harry Potter, an alchemist friend of Ed and Al. We met during their travels," he smiled disarmingly. He ignored how Ed choked on his own saliva in the background.

Sieg scrutinized Harry for a long minute before he nodded and turned his attention back to the brothers.

"So, why are you here?" He asked.

"We've got some questions for Master," Ed said as an explanation. Harry snickered at the way Ed's voice shook in fear.

"Let's go then," the giant agreed easily.

"How is Master?" Al asked kindly.

"She has been doing well lately, but she is still sick." He said. "Hey Izumi, the Elric brats are here to see you," he shouted. Several moments passed quietly- the calm before the storm, Harry grinned as he leaned on the windowsill next to Al. Ed, in a moment of stupidity, chose to stand in front of the door.

"Is Master sleeping?" Al whispered nervously.

"We're not going to worsen her condition, are we?" Ed whispered back.

"You don't have to worry, Ed. She's doing just fine. You'll see." Harry shrugged. The look in the god's eyes was not comforting in the least, Ed thought.

He didn't have to wonder about the odd amused air that seemed to be radiating from the boy when a dainty slippered foot slammed the door open and set Ed flying across the street.

'That smug bastard' was the last thought running through Ed's mind before his head collided painfully with a brick wall.

"News of you have reached us, you idiotic students! You actually became a dog of the military? Well?!" Izumi barked at a semi-conscious and bleeding Ed.

"Who's the tin can and the kid?" she asked when Ed failed to respond. Harry flipped a hand at her as he continued to stuff Ed's soul back into his body.

"Erm… Ah, I'm Alphonse," Al said weakly.

"Al! You've grown so tall!" Izumi said pleasantly.

"I haven't changed much," He replied and took izumi's hand… only to be flipped on his back.

"Sloppy!" Izumi shouted over his head.

"And you are…?" She raised an eyebrow at Harry, who looked greatly amused.

"Just an alchemist friend of those two over there," he gestured to the two dazed brothers. "My name is Harry Potter."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Izumi held out a hand; Harry was wise enough not to take it. Instead, he just bowed politely and said with a smirk "Oh, we've met before. I'm sure you would remember in a bit."

Izumi frowned thoughtfully at the response. She was quite sure she had never met him in her life, yet there was something _off_ about the boy in front of her.

"The philosopher's stone?" Izumi asked. "I don't know much about it since I'm not interested in finding it… There was a man we met in Central who knew quite a lot about the stone though. I think his name was Van Hohenheim?" she mused.

Ed and Al gasped in unison. "So he's still alive," Ed whispered hatefully.

"What's the matter? You guys know him?" Izumi asked, sensing the shift in atmosphere.

"He's our father," Al confessed.

"The one who left a long time ago? If he's still in central-" Izumi said.

"That bastard! I will never ask that bastard for help!" Ed clenched his shaking hands into fists.

"He's not a bad guy; he may be a bad father, but he's not a bad person," Harry interjected. "He's just trying to make up for his mistakes even though he's really not the one to blame. Come to think of it, you inherited your personality from him, Ed." The Truth remained unshaken by Ed's fury. "Don't be so stubborn; you'll understand why he left."

Ed tsked at him and turned away angrily.

'Friends? Don't make me laugh.' Izumi frowned. 'Why isn't Ed fighting back? The boy knows things he shouldn't. I don't like the look in his eyes.'

Harry smiled without a care in the world. He likes Izumi quite a lot; she's a strong woman who gets things done. As such, he'd do her a favor and give her some time to figure out the truth for herself.

"Speaking of which, Master, you haven't had kids…" Ed said innocently. Immediately, Izumi's grew downcast; Harry fought the urge to sigh. Of all the topics Ed had to bring up over dinner, it had to be children.

Mason slammed his hands on the dinner table and came up with a weak excuse to direct Ed and Al outdoors. The duo complied and began boasting of their abilities on their way out.

"Izumi…" Sieg began hesitantly.

"Ah, I'm fine." She reassured him. "Letting these children watch the birth of a new life is a valuable experience!" She smiled. Her husband looked utterly unconvinced.

"It is- a valuable experience that is." Harry sipped on his tea languidly. Izumi's eyes narrowed at him. "There will be a day when Ed –and by extension, Al- will be forced to take lives. It's inevitable given Ed's career choice. So far, he has managed to avoid killing, but he can't dodge the task forever. Despite what people would like to think of the military men, they are not heartless. In fact, Ed's commanding officer has been trying his best to shield Ed from that kind of assignments. That fool has been shouldering on the killing himself. Being a parent is truly a thankless task." He said cryptically.

"Don't worry", Harry's bright green eyes bored into Izumi's charcoal ones. "Your child is doing fine. He doesn't blame you, just like how Trisha Elric doesn't blame Ed and Al. He misses you. Rest and focus on your health."

Izumi stumbled back as if she had been slapped. Even Sieg looked uneasy.

She bared her teeth in anger. "Who are you? What are you playing at?"

Harry simply shrugged. "You know who I am- denial is not a good look on you. I'm not playing at anything. I just wanted to offer you some closure while I'm here. Humans are so easily crushed by guilt." Izumi wanted to wipe the smirk off of that smug bastard's lips, but deep down, she was shaken by his words.

"You can wring the answers out of me later. The brats are going to be suspicious if we keep them waiting any longer." Harry waved a hand and strolled out, ignoring how Izumi tried to drill a hole through his back with her suspicious gaze.

Mandy: This is the first draft (of three!) of my FMA/HP cross. Basically, in this universe, Amestris and alchemy came after the magical world imploded on itself due to the light/dark magical imbalance. The world started over, and this time, there are rules- there is no divide between the "magicals" and the "non-magicals", and everything has a price. The one in charge of enforcing that price is, of course, Harry. I really like this idea, and I even have sketches of scenes drawn, for goodness' sake, but I just can't seem to write this idea properly. FMA is simply too perfect of a manga/anime for me to mess around with, and I feel pretty darn guilty for changing anything, let alone inserting a character. Anyways, I'm about at my wits end, since I've written 30k for this idea over five+ years and haven't gotten anywhere. I'm just going to upload all three drafts, and you guys can tell me which one you guys want continued. As usual, it's pretty much unbetaed (it's pretty sad that my old writing is better than my new writing, but I guess that's what I get for not using English much anymore).


	3. HP and FMA 2

Flip. Flip. Scribble. Flip. Flip. Scribble. Monotonous sounds filled a small hotel room in downtown Central. A small bluebird perched on a small branch outside the window and peered curiously at the room's inhabitants.

"Hmmmm….." Sharp golden eyes narrowed. Strands of golden hair drifted over Edward's eyes- he swatted them away impatiently. His automail hand cricked as he rubbed a page absentmindedly as if he could solve the page's code by just staring.

"Is something wrong?" A gentle mechanical voice questioned. Al shifted his attention away from the stack of papers in his hands to his keen –albeit reckless- older brother.

"Not wrong… just odd. Here, look at this." Ed shoved a single sheet into Al's large armored hands. "Two small carrots, sliced. Three medium-sized russet potatoes, quartered. Half a sweet onion, sliced. Two cloves of garlic, minced. Two medium beef sirloin steaks. Sauté the minced garlic in olive oil on high for one minute until fragrant, then add in the sliced sweet onion and cook until they are translucent and golden. Take out the onions and garlic and add the steaks. Turn the heat down to medium and slowly roast them in the pan, turning them periodically. Once the steaks are browned but still raw, add the potatoes, carrots, garlic, and onion. Add water if needed. Once the potatoes are cooked through, take everything out of the pan and serve on individual plates. Reserve gravy for later use.' Al read out loud.

"Brother, what do you think this means?" Al asked.

Ed sighed and rubbed his head in exhaustion. "There are five ingredients in the recipe, so that suggests a pentagram design, or five components, or five circumferences," he muttered tiredly, picking up a pen and sketching a pentagram transmutation circle on the margin.

"The recipe mentioned saving the gravy for later use. The recipes in this stack all use sauces of some sort- Worchester Sauce, mayonnaise, soy sauce…" Al gestured over to his stack of alchemical notes.

"Ah. The sauce could be the philosopher's stone itself- remember? Marco's stone acted like a liquid." Ed thought out loud. With a sigh, he rocked back on his chair and watched as the blades on the ceiling fan swirled around lazily. He willed his mind to move- to banish the dust clogging his thoughts to the farthest reaches of his head. Alas, that command his brain did not follow, and now all he could do was stare mindlessly at the papers in front of him- papers that would point him to the fabled Philosopher's Stone.

Six days. It has been six days since he got his hands on those notes, perhaps through sheer dumb luck, but he had done it. Six days, and he still haven't gotten anywhere. Through the brothers' relentless efforts, they have managed to coax tiny morsels from within the encrypted confines of Marcoh's cookbook, but the key ingredient and the whole array are still missing.

'Darn that Marcoh! Why couldn't he have made the code easier to crack?!' Ed thought, his infamous temper rearing its ugly head.

'Losing your temper now will not get you anywhere. Your anger is not productive in the slightest,' the more rational part of him pointed out.

Ed sighed and got up. He stretched his arms, then his neck, and lastly, his waist. It was late at night, and his two guards should be asleep.

"Al, I'm going to take a walk. I'll be back in half an hour or so."

Hopefully, the comfortable night air will clear his mind. Goodness knows he could use any help at this point- he was certainly desperate enough.

"Okay, Brother. Be careful." Al waved his hand in goodbye and picked up another stack of notes.

Ed pushed his chair back and tiptoed out, nodding to the snoring Sergeant Brosh on his way out.

* * *

Central was as busy as ever. Cars raced down the streets, crisscrossing every corner of the bustling city. Laughter and sounds of chatting filled the air, even at this hour of the night. Little fireflies fluttered in the darkness- as beautiful and as ephemeral as fairies. Even so, there was an odd sort of tranquility that filled the cool night air- one of a different sort than the comfort found in Risembol.

Slowly he made his way to the nearby plaza, where people gather around cafe tables and benches, spilling out of pubs and bars. Usually, he avoided people- he could deal with one person. One person is exactly that- one person. A crowd of people, on the other hand, is an animal with neither sense nor identity. But tonight, he purposely made his way toward the animal. Just for tonight, Ed wanted to remind himself what being with other people is like. Isolation was dangerous- he knew that very well. Avoiding other people was to avoid humanity, and that brings out his demons- demons that he didn't even know he had. Perhaps he can even let his troubled thoughts drain away, so he may lose himself within the mass of people. Maybe even pretend to be a normal person without the weight of the world upon his shoulders.

'It must be nice to be normal,' he thought wistfully. Immediately, he mentally snuffed the thought out of existence. It was by his own hands that he ended up this way- no one else is to blame. It was his responsibility to fix this, and fix it he will.

Ed was at the entrance of the plaza when he suddenly heard a woman near him shout loudly.

"There's a person falling from the sky!"

Ed's first reflex was to dodge, but the absurdity of the statement made him pause. There's a what falling from where? Unfortunately, he dodged a little too late- a wall of pain slammed into his back; the world faded to black.

* * *

Ed's consciousness slowly roused from its sleep; his eyelids seemed heavier than usual- heavier than lead, even. He groaned in pain and tried to lift them with little success. His automail worked perfectly though, much to his relief. Even without opening his eyes, he knew that he was back in the hotel room, on his bed. The fan overhead spun leisurely, making soft swooshing sounds. The bed he was lying on was soft- a softness that he has grown familiar with over the past week. The real question was who found him and how.

'Al, maybe,' he mused to himself and moved his automail limbs, preparing to check their full functions.

"Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?" An unfamiliar voice said from beside him. The voice was a light tenor with a slight twinge of an unfamiliar accent.

The thought of an unfamiliar presence in his room woke him up quicker than ice water. Whoever the intruder was, he lacked a presence, and that made him dangerous. Adrenaline shot through his veins, and before his mind could catch up to his body, he threw his covers in the general direction of the voice and leapt into a fighting stance. Ed blinked, but did not loosen his stance. He bounced slightly on the balls of his feet as the mattress squeaked in protest.

The unknown figure struggled and flailed in the sleets before untangling himself from the confining fabric.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. Sheesh, you'd think the world was out to get you or something." The mysterious male sounded annoyed.

Ed studied the figure in front of him carefully. The mystery person was a man who looked to be around Ed's age, maybe a little older. Unruly dark brown hair stuck up at more angles than Ed thought was possible, and he had lithe muscles. The brightest green eyes Ed has ever seen peered directly at his own golden ones.

Upon receiving no visible, the teenager continued, seemingly unconcerned with Ed's hostility. "I apologize for not notifying you of my presence, but you were unconscious. What is the last thing you remember? You hit your head pretty hard."

Yeah, thanks to you, Ed thought to himself. He hesitated for a moment, trying to recall his latest memories. "I went out for a walk and some idiot fell out of the sky and knocked me out," he said bluntly. "What time is it?" He asked as an afterthought.

The man barked out a laugh. "Knocked you out alright- I accidentally cracked three of your ribs and ruptured your spleen. Sorry 'bout that." The stranger shrugged sheepishly.

Now it was Ed's turn to be annoyed. What luck he must have, to get fallen upon by a man who appeared out of nowhere. He hoped that the man did not leave a dent on the pavement- otherwise he would have to explain to the Colonel why there was an imprint of himself in the middle of a plaza. Seriously though, the probability of a person falling out of the sky and landing to him was next to none.

Ed narrowed his eyes. He seriously doubted the odd man's claims. Unless his nerves are dead or the man was lying (which Ed doubted since he recalled how intense the pain was), he should be in a world of agony right about now. So why wasn't he? He wasn't all bandaged up either, and the sudden movement didn't hurt him at all. If his ribs were fractured, he shouldn't be able to breathe without pain, and he was able to move quickly without any sign of injury.

"What happened?" Ed asked instead. 'And where is Al? There's no way he missed the commotion just now.' he thought with a frown.

"To me, or to you?" The man asked in return while pulling up a chair. Ed's expression was still closed off an unreadable.

"Well, I guess I'll start with you first, since your part's simpler." The man ran a hand through his hair with practiced ease.

'A nervous gesture or habit of sorts,' Ed noted.

"I landed on you by accident, which knocked you out. I carried you to a bench in the plaza and tried to assess the damage when a blonde man in a military uniform came up to me and said that he's been looking for you. He was rather worried when he saw you unconscious. I told him that I lived in one of the apartments overlooking the plaza and that I slipped when I was trying to trim one of my vines. I offered to carry you to your residence since I was the one who injured you, but he insisted that a civilian like me would not have the training to lift you all the way back. Plus, he said that I would not know the way. He only let me follow you since I told him I have medical experience. I do feel obligated to heal you, not that I don't know how to. I'm well versed in medical science and alchemy, you see. He carried you to your bed, and I started healing your injuries." The man recounted while Ed listened keenly. "I met your brother, by the way. He seemed exasperated and worried about you. He saw me healing you and seemed rather fascinated by my work, so he wouldn't let me leave." The man explained.

Ed had a disbelieving look plastered on his face. Sergeant Brosh really would believe anything you said to him. When the man mentioned alchemy, his eyes were immediately drawn to the floor. No chalk marks.

"Go on. What really happened to you? People don't fall out of nowhere." Ed urged him on with an eyebrow raised, suddenly curious about the supposedly skilled alchemist. He doubted the man was telling the truth- he was in the middle of the plaza; there was no way a person falling from the nearby apartments would have landed on him.

"Well" the man scowled, "My godfather has a really bad sense of humor; he bodily threw me out of the Gate so that I would freefall out of the sky. Really, I apologize for the inconvenience he caused."

Ed gave him a blank stare. Surely the man was drunk- either that or he was hallucinating. "What kind of gate opens up in the sky?" Ed asked sarcastically.

"Oh, I assure you- plenty of gates open up in the weirdest places," the man said authoritatively. "But in this case, this is a gate you should be very familiar with, Alchemist." Harry added, looking pointedly at the pentagram designs lying on the table.

Ed frowned- what sort of gate would he- His mind screeched to a halt. Maybe he really did hit his head too hard; after all, there was no way a civilian- or an average alchemist would know of _that_ gate. "Who are you?" he demanded, not at all pleased by the lies he was being fed.

The man blinked and grinned, which was not a pleasant sight. It sent icy pangs of fear down Ed's spine and to every nerve in his body. If he had hackles, they would be raised. "I'm glad you asked. I am what you call "the world." I am "Space." I am "God." I am the "Truth." I am "All." I am "One." And I... am "You." The man said nonchalantly, crossing his hands on his knees as if the words leaving his mouth were nothing out of the ordinary.

Ed was unnerved . That man repeated what the Truth said to him, word for word. No one else knew; he had never repeated what It said to him to anyone. The absurdity of it all finally dawned on him, and his body collapsed under the tide of emotions: Ed burst out in laughter. He laughed, he laughed, he laughed. He kept laughing and laughing. Then he stopped. "Cut the bullshit. Who are you?" He accused, shifting back into a martial arts stance.

The Truth rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone accuse me of lying? You want proof? Fine. I took your left leg and your brother's whole body when you kids tried to resurrect your mother. I then took your right harm when you pulled your brother's soul out of the gate. Your left leg has an inch and a half scar right below the knee from when you scraped it while running over a bridge. You have a circular birthmark above your fourth toe on your left leg. Your right arm's pinky is slightly crooked from when you broke it and didn't set it correctly. Your right outer elbow has a mole. Need I continue?" He asked sarcastically.

"No." Ed paused and said shortly. "There's no need." Despite every fiber of his body refusing to accept this being's words, it was hard to deny them.

"Good." The Truth smiled at him and got up. "Might I also suggest that resurrecting the dead is a phenomenally stupid idea and that you two were lucky to be alive. You don't know how close you were- if you were half a minute later, Alphonse would have crossed over to the other side. As it was, he was halfway there when you got to him." The Truth got up and brushed the dust off his pants.

Ed swallowed as his limbs began shaking. _That_ night was starting to come back in flashes, but there is one thing he must bring himself to ask before the Truth disappears again.

"Then Al's body-" he began shakily.

"Calm down, Edward. I'm not here to smite you or anything like that. If I was, you wouldn't be here. I don't blame you- you committed a cardinal sin, and as the Truth, I am bound to exact a toll on all those who do so." Harry said. "To answer your question, Alphonse's body is still between the gates- exactly where his soul was extracted. Without the soul, the body will not move on to the other side. Though you may want hurry up about getting his body back. The longer Alphonse waits, the more time he will have to spend readjusting to his body- if you manage to get it back.

Alphonse is probably worried sick by now. I'll go get him. Oh, by the way, you may call me Harry." He waved and promptly walked out of the door.

For a while, Ed sat, stupefied. The Truth fell from the sky. The Truth fell on him. The Truth looks like a perfectly normal human being. The Truth is called Harry. Just exactly how bizarre is his life going to be? More importantly, Al's body is alive. Al's body is still reachable. Suddenly, he felt as if a great weight was lifted from his shoulders.

* * *

"Brother, how are you feeling?" Al said as he gently pushed open the door.

"Like I got a good night's sleep, surprisingly...and maybe a bit weirded out." Ed's mouth move on its own accord, his brain on autopilot.

"Brother?" Al waved a large armored hand in front of Ed's face.

"Stop that." Ed said, annoyed. He casually swatted the hand away. The usual grumpiness was back.

"Just checking." Al sounded playful, even though he couldn't physically grin.

An awkward silence filled the small hotel room as the fan swirled on.

"So... Is that what the Truth looks like?" Al asked awkwardly.

"No. He was much more..." Ed couldn't find the right word to describe the odd, creepy, amorphous form that he saw; he tried to use his arms to illustrate what the Truth looked like. Al looked at him in confusion. An upside-down octopus? "Well, he wasn't called Harry either."

"Haha, I thought not. Did you notice the way he said his name?" He remakred. Many people didn't realize this, but Al was even better at reading people than Ed. His quiet made him a better observer than Ed, a trait that was furthered when he became a suit of armor.

"Yeah." Ed looked thoughtful. "He sounded like he hasn't said that name in a while. That's his real name- I'm sure of it." Both of them had heard and taken enough aliases to hear the voice enunciation difference between true names and fake names.

Then the brothers stopped to ponder about the sheer absurdity of the statement. The Truth had a name? The Truth had a name? The Truth had a name.

Ed held his forehead; why must his life be so complicated? "There is no logic to be found in any of this. Six hours ago, we couldn't even imagine the Truth having a face, let alone a name."

Al gave a weak chuckle. "It's hard to believe that this happened. Brother, you can't seem to take care of yourself at all."

Ed grumbled under his breath and crossed his arms. "I'm innocent" he insisted. 'This time anyways', he thought. "I never thought a person would free fall out of the sky. Besides, I'm fine now." His mind picked over everything that Harry said.

"He said he healed me, but how? There weren't any transmutation marks- I checked."

"Actually, that's why I invited him to stay . All he did was touch you on the collarbone, and then it was healed. He did that with the other fractures too! No transmutation circle, sound, or anything. I'm not sure if it's alchemy, even." Al said unsurely.

Ed tsked and rubbed his back, as if willing for any remnants of pain to appear "That man is a pain!"

Al laughed. "You've only met him, Brother."

"That doesn't make him any less troublesome." Ed sighed for what felt like the upteenth time. "How are the notes going?"

Al shook his head. "No luck, Brother."

Ed got up and flexed his automail hand. "We'd better get back to it tomorrow then. Thanks to that unexpected nuisance, we've wasted a lot of time. I've got some questions to ask our unwelcomed guest."

Al nodded. "Don't stay up too late, okay? You were injured, after all."

Ed flashed Al a grin. "Don't worry; I won't." He walked out the door and closed it behind him, very much intent on interrogating the Truth.

* * *

It took Ed a while to find where the Truth was; for a while, he thought that the man had left. Ed's mismatched feet carried him upstairs to the roof, where he found the previously amorphous being. The sight that greeted Ed made him rub his eyes. Harry, as he prefers to be called, was absolutely surrounded in fireflies. Fireflies everywhere- on his messy hair, clinging to his hooded jacket, on his knees, on his shoes, even on his hands and nose. Oddly enough, the man didn't seem to mind the miniature winged lanterns.

Ed stayed where he was and observed the dream-like scene in silence. Slowly, the man opened his eyes and spoke softly- to the bugs.

"The night is ending soon. Thank you for visiting me," he smiled gently at the cloud of insects "Good luck!" he said and one by one, the bugs left him, chasing the receding night.

Harry turned his attention on Ed, who was still standing by the stairs. He gestured for Ed to take a seat, which he did. "So... I assume you have some questions? I'd be surprised if you didn't actually." He chuckled, "You alchemists are so interesting; no matter how hard or horrible, you keep searching for the truth." He looked up and observed the lightening sky. "Ask what you will. Whether or not I will answer is another matter."

Ed swallowed nervously, gathering up his courage. "Why are you here?" he asked curiously. "Who's guarding the gate if you're here?" he continued, counting the questions with his fingers. "Why did you heal me?"

Harry looked unfazed by the questions. "Now isn't that the million dollar question?" he said, referring to the first question Ed asked. He laid down on the roof and stretched out his long limbs.

"My godfather is guarding the gate- well, at least he was my godfather when I was alive, a good couple of millennia ago. Now he's just a soul residing in the Gate. Nonetheless, I pulled him out, sat him down, and told him I need a favor. He agreed to help me, but in return, he laughed and tossed me out the Gate. Bastard" he said fondly.

Ed seemed surprised that the Truth was human once upon a time. He had a nagging suspicion that it was the case- given the man's very human habits and speech, but one thing to suspect, and another to confirm.

Harry continued as if he did not notice Ed's surprise. "As for why I healed you... it's only polite since I fell on you and broke your bones. It was an accident, but since you were so kind to break my fall, the least I could do is fix the damage." He said sarcastically. "It wouldn't have killed me if you dodged though. I can't die even if I wanted to." He looked wistfully at the sky.

Ed's heart skipped a beat. 'Immortality. There is a true immortal in front of his eyes. How?' Ed's mind burned with the desire to know, but he had a hunch that the man would not answer. He would not fall to the temptation- not again.

"As for why I am here... I'm glad you asked that. It's a very good question. The main reason is you." He said, pointing at a shocked Ed. "You did something in the future that absolutely upset the balance in life, and I am here to fix that imbalance. I don't particularly mind being here since it has been many centuries since I have last had a breath of fresh air. I suppose I can tell you a bit of the future as return for Alphonse's hospitality. Would you like to know?" The green eyes were sharp.

Ed sat down on the roof. "Since I assume you will be changing things, it would not be the future anymore, right? I doubt knowledge of the true future would come as such a cheap price." He shrugged.

Harry chuckled. "Clever boy. You're right- I do intend to change things around, so the future isn't accurate, per se. It is merely one of the many paths that are open to you. Do you want to know it?"

Ed nodded in a 'why not?' gesture.

"In the future- or rather, a future, you two pursued the Philosopher's stone. It led you and the people around you into a spiraling path of pain and misery. You and your friends ended up saving the world, but your success came at a steep price. You retrieved Alphonse's body, but not your leg. The price you paid was far too great for Alphonse's body- or even both of your limbs, had you ask for those as well. I will not tell you what you offered to me since I will not accept it a second time. I only accepted the exchange because you were rather desperate at the time. Both of you got married and had a couple of kids each. Mustang eventually became Fuhrer; he was the best Fuhrer in Amestris' history." he shrugged.

Ed could hardly believe what he was saying. This was his future? Yet, he felt a surge of happiness well up inside his soul. He would get Al's body back! He could do it. He could. It was hard to believe that him, a child of sixteen from Risembol could save the world. Heck, even Bastard Colonel got his dream. Suddenly, the notes didn't seem to matter so much anymore.

"Who do I save the world from?" Ed's mind dissected Harry's words.

"That you don't have to worry about," Harry said firmly. "I will take care of that particular matter before the year is over. I have let things lie for far too long, and to have a child fix my mess is inexcusable. Don't look at me like that- you are a child, even though you may have the strength and soul of someone much older."

Ed scowled at Harry. He is not a child- he has not been one since he had his innocence stripped away from him.

"Don't pout at me. Even though you're just a kid, you're quite interesting. In the end, you were the only person to defeat me- adult or otherwise. You are one of the few humans to have passed through the gate more than once and still lived to tell the tale. It has gotten quite fond of you." Harry got up nimbly and stretched in a rather feline manner.

Ed wondered how the Gate could have any feelings, let alone be fond of him of all people.

Then Harry suddenly turned serious. "You guys haven't cracked Marcoh's code yet, right? Give it up." Ed leapt up to object, but his legs acted on their own- they folded and shifted back into a sitting posture. "Sit back down, Edward. I was not finished." Harry continued as if taking command of someone else's body was something he did on a daily basis. "You won't want to know what's in Marcoh's research. There's a reason why he tries so hard to repent, you know. He was right to call it the devil's research. He truly tries his best to repent, and in the end he avoided hell. You two won't use it anyways- especially not if you know how they are made. It's not something that children should know." His eyes were shadowed pits of green, his faced pinched. Ed looked at him, baffled and a bit offended.

"Anyways, don't worry your pretty little head over it. I'll be staying in the room next to yours." He said nonchalantly and held up a pair of keys along with Ed's wallet. "Thanks for your hospitality," Harry smirked.

"Who are you calling a micro-mini little speck of dust?! And give me back my wallet, you bastard!" Ed shouted after him. Harry only laughed in reply.

* * *

In his own room (which he rented using Ed's money, much to the blonde boy's anger), Harry was well aware of the eyes watching him from the shadows. He took off his jacket and massaged his shoulders- a very human gesture. Before the shadow could retreat, Harry caught onto one of the tendrils. The tendril flinched, surprised at being caught.

"Pride, is it? It's nice to meet you. I'm sorry to say that you can't see what's going to happen next. But for now, I have use for you. _Imperio_ ," Harry whispered darkly to the shadow. The black sliver went slack in Harry's hands.

"You will behave as normal and will carry out your father's orders as you would usually do so. When you report to your father about me, tell him that I am called Harry James Potter and that I am a travelling alchemist from the East. I met the Elrics while doing so, and I am a confirmed human sacrifice. It is for this reason that I help the Elrics with their quest. You will first report to me. Before you report to him about any information regarding me or my actions. You will otherwise ignore everything I do as unnecessary and too trivial to report" Harry iterated. He knew that the homunculus would ask about him, and through Pride, he will be able control the amount and quality of the information flow. He knew without a doubt that "Father" greatly relied on Pride as his eyes above ground and has thus gotten lazy.

"That is all- you may return," Harry ordered as the immortal child slipped away.

* * *

"So you know what the stones are made of now. Are you happy now?" Edward was unruffled by Harry's entry through the window. He did not even acknowledge the deity's presence.

The boy continued to sulk, his eyes downcast. Neither of the brothers replied him. In silence, they sat- still as statues.

Harry sighed and rubbed his head in exasperation. "I told you guys not to dig. It would be best if you just left this mess well alone, especially since I'm here to sort everything out." He really wished that the stubborn duo would listen to him for once. It would be best if they left the stone well alone. The more they did, the less he could interfere on their behalf.

Silence. Seeing how both of them seemed rather lifeless, he waved his arm and conjured a steaming hot meal. Both brothers looked surprised to see the laws of physics so blatantly broken, but did not speak.

"Eat." He ordered Edward. "Don't make me take over your body again, brat. You won't like it," Harry threatened. And he would too- just as he used to half-force his own children to eat when they sulked. Memories of James, Al, and Lily resurfaced. 'It must be the exposure to the mortal realm,' Harry mentally frowned as he shoved them away. Reluctantly, the boy accepted the offered meal and started picking at it.

The older teen's eyes softened, and he sat down on the floor next to Al.

"It can't be helped, I guess." He cracked a smile when he saw Edward eating ferociously. "See? You are hungry. You have got to take better care of your body, you know."

Edward put his fork down with a clatter, catching Harry's attention. "Do you... ever hate sinners?" He asked Harry quietly.

Al looked down and hugged his knees tightly.

Harry looked at both brothers unblinkingly. "What brought this on?" He asked jokingly. Harry paused when he saw how serious the teenagers were. "No, I suppose I don't. I might not like, or agree with what they do, and I might not be able to empathize with their reasons, but I don't hate them. Sinners break the rules, and I am honor-bound as the Truth to exact a toll matching the gravity of the crime. It's nothing personal." Harry got up and faced Al. He laid a hand gently on his shoulder.

"I don't hate you two. I can hardly hate anyone- a god like me does not deserve emotions. Whatever human empathy I might have had once upon of a time is all gone by now. An empathetic god is an unstable one." Harry chuckled darkly. Ed's eyes were wide with an unreadable emotion.

"Then your memories…"

"My memories as human? They still exist though they do not surface often. They are still as clear as ever, with names and faces that I cannot forget. I treasure those memories, though I feel no happiness nor sadness from them." Harry shrugged.

The expression on Ed's face was one that could almost be pity. "Don't you miss them?" Alphonse asked, laying a hand on his armor.

Harry thought he would ask that since Alphonse's body prevented him from enjoying many things. "I suppose," Harry shrugged. "You can't miss something you don't remember. Losing them was not my choice, but it was necessary. Not many people pass through the Gate, and the majority of those who do will die. I am tasked with either killing them or scarring them- to handle sinners is my job. But what would you have me do if the sinners in question are two young children?" Harry glanced at Ed, who looked away. "Or a grieving mother? A loyal brother? If I was more empathetic, I would not have been able to exact a price." Harry admitted.

Silence overtook the room for several minutes.

"But don't be so hard on yourself. Have faith in what you can do. Humans make mistake, but what gives them strength is their ability to rise up from those mistakes." He smiled at Al.

He silently walked up to Ed and ruffled his hair. The teenager flinched slightly, but Harry ignored the action. "I know what both of you can do; I've seen what the future could be. It's yours, if you want it. Nothing is impossible." Ed shoved his hand away gruffly and began fixing his hair. Harry laughed.

"This won't be the worst secret you'll find, and it won't be your last one. Though arguably, it may be your worst one." He sat back down and watched the fan above them spin.

* * *

A loud commotion jolted the three of them out of their reveries. The brothers suddenly jumped; Ed's face suddenly drained of color.

A rhino? Harry thought sarcastically as he watched the doorknob wobble and squeak in pain. Before long, the door itself broke.

"I have come, Edward Elric!" It was no rhino, but a man... with sparkles and curly blonde hair. Clearly, he must have left the human race alone for far too long if evolution ended up producing… that.

He blinked at the movable blonde mountain in front of him and turned to Edward. "Who's the nutjob?" Harry asked.

Needless to say, introductions didn't go that well. It started innocuously enough, but Harry saw no harm in letting the man know of his true identity. The Armstrongs played a vital role in stopping Father, and in return, Harry blessed their family for a couple hundred generations.

However, "I'm the Truth" didn't exactly sit too well with the Strong Arm Alchemist. Like with Edward, he had to reveal several personal secrets for the man to give him the benefit of a doubt (the Elrics, of course, were listening in). Harry performed miracles and broke every alchemical law in existence. Anymore, and he would have to bend over backwards to prove his identity. Once the shock settled down, Harry told Major Armstrong of his alias.

"If anyone asks, I'm a travelling alchemist who transmutes without needing to use circles or formulas," Harry nibbled on an apple. "Do you honestly think I need those tools to transmute?" Harry asked when Ed looked sharply at him. "Technically, I don't even need to move to transmute, but advertising this particular ability is just asking for trouble. I'd rather just pass my power off as one I attained from seeing the contents of the Gate. Revealing myself as the Truth to every alchemist would just land me in an asylum" Harry said.

"The Truth..." Edward mumbled, reacting to something Major Armstrong said.

"Hm?" Harry turned his head to the blonde.

"No, not you." Edward flapped his hand absentmindedly, causing Harry to pout. "The Truth behind the Truth... That was what Marcoh said." Harry sighed.

"I thought I told you brats to drop it. Why wouldn't you stubborn fools just take my advice for once? It's the only thing I'll offer for free." Harry grumbled.

"Since you're warning me to stop, that means I'm on the right track." Edward said, completely ignoring Harry's advice and twisting it into something else entirely.

Harry sulked through the discussion.

* * *

"You again?!" Edward pointed and shouted (quietly) at Harry, who had his arms crossed leisurely above his head. "How did you get in?!" The brothers had snuck out of their hotel room against the adults' advice and successfully infiltrated Laboratory Five.

"Yes, me." He rolled his eyes. "I teleported, of course." He shrugged at the Elrics' huge-eyed stares at his disregard for physics.

"You teleported." Harry nodded. "Of course," Ed rolled his eyes sarcastically. "You know what? Forget this. We have come too far to turn back now."

"Oh I know. I'm not here to convince you to go back- the choice has always been yours to make. I just tried to dissuade you from it. I've got other business in Laboratory Five." Harry said matter-of-factly.

"Don't get too roughed up, okay? I'm not healing any wounds you get this time." With a quiet pop, he disappeared. The Elrics blinked, rubbed their eyes, and then blinked some more.

"Forget breaking the laws of physics; he eats them for dinner," grumbled Edward. Al laughed quietly.

* * *

Harry gracefully sidestepped the debris lying in the abandoned, but well lighted, hallways. His steps made no sound as his legs led him to the library. He yanked open the dusty door and grinned at the sight of the packed bookshelves in front of him.

'It looks like I have quite a bit of work to do,' Harry thought to himself. 'I might as well start doing it. I haven't got time to waste.' He pulled out the Elder wand and unshrunk a large mokeskin bag that he had saved for this occasion. With another wave, Harry levitated the books off their shelves as one and began to stuff them into the bag.

The books- or rather, the evidence- will be quite useful for what he has planned, especially in the aftermath of Father's demise. He cannot simply let the country flail about while the military is destabilized. In fact, what Edward and his friends did last time was far too messy and far too public. This time he would set things straight.

* * *

"Well then... We don't need to make a stone here anymore, so shall we blow up the evidence?" Envy said casually to Lust. They made their way to the back to the laboratory, where the array was etched in stone.

Suddenly, the two paused; there was another person there. They two immediate went on defensive. The fullmetal brats were one thing, but an intruder of a different manner was unacceptable.

"Who are you?" Lust asked. Her nails elongated.

"Cozy place, right? You must be Lust" he nodded to her, earning a snarl in reply "and Envy." The homunculus tsked angrily at him.

"You should not be here." Envy accused. Neither of them made a move since the stranger was completely relaxed.

"No, I shouldn't." He grinned eerily.

"I'm not here to fight, you know." He said pointedly, staring at Lust's nails.

"Nonetheless, you know too much for an outsider." Lust moved in a flash, her nails aiming for his vitals.

"Down, Tiger." She was fast, he admitted, but he was faster still. He gripped her nails; on contact, they turned to dust. She gasped in surprise and snarled. She drew back while Envy sprung forth with a punch.

Harry dodge and kneed Envy in the gut, exactly where he kneed Ed. "Have a taste of your own medicine, will you?" Envy too, withdrew.

"Like I said, I'm not here to fight, and I doubt you could kill me anyways." He said, looking perfectly normal after the scuffle.

"You two will not remember my name, face, or any distinguishing characteristics, but you will remember that there was a stranger present." Harry intoned, casually riffling through the homunculi's minds. He turned his back to the homunculi, who were struggling to keep from forgetting. Envy leapt at his exposed back; Harry dodged effortlessly and flipped Envy away. "See ya. " With a cheeky wave, he teleported away, leaving two stunned creatures behind him.

* * *

"You're in the hospital again." Harry waltzed in with a bag of cookies and a basket of fruit. "I recall telling you not to get too beat up, Ed." Harry smirked when he saw that Ed was wrapped head to toe in casts and bandages.

Ed gave have a deadpan stare. "I know." He mumbled through his bandages. "I wasn't that badly hurt until Major Armstrong came to visit me." He scowled, but Harry did not notice it through the layers of bandages.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked amusedly. He set the cookies and fruits on the bedside table.

"… He hugged me." Ed muttered. His voice was barely audible past the full body cast.

"He hugged you?" Harry raised an eyebrow; what do they feed kids these days? People here are really weird, he noted to himself.

Ed nodded reluctantly.

"He's a big teddy bear on the inside, isn't he?" He laughed. "Anyways, I bought you a basket of fruits. It's what visitors bring to patients in the hospital, right?"

"You bought it? With what money?" Ed asked curiously. Morphine has not dulled his wits in the slightest; he was sure the man hadn't stolen his wallet this time.

"My own- I would never steal your money for something like this," he grinned and ignored Ed's disbelieving stare. "As for how… I made some money" Harry started eating his own cookies; they smelled divine.

'As if,' Ed thought with a smidge of suspicion. "If so, then why didn't you pay for your own hotel? Wait- you got a job?!" Ed gasped, or at least tried to. Strangely enough, Alphonse gave no reaction.

"Please, with what the state gives you a month for research, you could feed a family of four for a year and still have money left over. Don't be absurd. I didn't earn the money: I made it." Harry said matter-of-factly. He demonstrated by snapping his fingers and holding out a bag in the air. Coins and notes literally fell out of the air into the bag.

Of course, Ed thought tiredly. Is it still counterfeiting if the coins and notes are authentic? "How do you do that? Where's the equivalent exchange in that?"

Harry finished his first cookie and reached for a second one. "I just do. Perks of the job, I guess you could say. There is no equivalent exchange because I'm not using alchemy. While I know the theories of alchemy well, I don't practice it. Equivalent exchange does not apply with my way of doing things."

"Then what are you using?" Ed's scientific mind was on overdrive. There were no transmutation marks on the currency, not that he had expected any.

"Ah, now that would be telling, wouldn't it? Don't worry your cute little head over it- this ability of mine is genetic, and my line has disappeared completely. Besides, it has been extinct for quite a few millennia now." Harry gave his trademark creepy grin, which immediately made Ed back off even though he wanted to throttle the man for calling him a micro-mini speck of dust. Bad things happen when the Truth grinned, or so he has learned.

"Alphonse, how are you? Are you alright?" Harry asked and laid a hand on the armor. The younger brother was oddly pensive.

"I'm fine." He said in a flat metallic tone. Harry narrowed his eyes. If you say so, he thought.

The door creaked open, and both Harry and Ed turned their heads (or at least tried to, in Ed's case) to the newcomers. In came Major Armstrong and a blond girl whom Ed seemed to recognize.

She immediately dropped her briefcase when she saw Ed in a full body cast. "No way!" She shouted, surprised. "I didn't hear anything about you getting hurt that badly!"

Harry half-listened as Ed peeled away the bandages and gave the girl an explanation. It turns out Major Armstrong did indeed hug him. Harry fought the urge to laugh- of all things the good major could do… Silently, he looked on as the two teenagers argued back and forth. Ah, to be young and in love, he thought wistfully. Glimpses of his time with Ginny drifted through his mind, each as vivid as the next.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Who are you?" The girl, had an abacus in her hand and was calculating quite enthusiastically, turned her attention to Harry. He blinked back into reality.

"I'm Harry Potter. I'm an alchemist friend of Ed and Al's; I met Ed not long ago at the plaza down town." He smiled winsomely at her, as it was only the polite thing to do. He noticed Ed shooting daggers at him from the corner of his eyes.

To the side, Edward seemed a bit baffled by the simplified version of his introduction. If falling out of the sky was his way of meeting people, then it was no wonder he did not socialize much.

"Oh, it's nice for Ed and Al to finally make some friends here. I'm Winry Rockbell. I've been friends with those two ever since we were kids." She smiled and shook his hand.

With introductions done, the conversation then quickly veered off to an odd direction... about Ed's hatred of milk. Halfway through, Harry couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. His laughter interrupted Ed mid-rant. "There's a very simple solution to all this drams," Harry gestured with a cookie in his hand. "Here, have this, Ed." He gave Ed the cookie in his hand, which was white and round.

Ed bit into it, chewed it for a bit, and swallowed. "It's good!" He exclaimed.

"Those are milk flavored cookies I made." Harry said. "There's flour, sugar, butter, eggs, salt, vanilla, and a lot of milk. See? An elegant solution to your dilemma." Harry handed the bag in his arms to Edward, who seemed eager to taste some more cookies... but the bag was empty.

In his mild anger, Edward balled up the brown paper bag and threw it at Harry. It hit him straight in the face, but the being just laughed it off. "If you like them that much, I can make more when we get back to the hotel."

Even in the midst of such a heated exchange, everyone noticed when Alphonse left the room. Silence swept through the room like a northern gale.

"Al has been acting strange." Ed said seriously.

Naturally, everyone had their own theory.

"He got a crush?" Sergeant Brosh suggested after his initial idea was rejected.

"He's worried?" Winry was clearly concerned.

"Al is always worried," Harry rebutted. "If I had a reckless older brother like Ed, I would be worried too."

"Hey!" Ed sqwaked indignantly. While he was chewing over the theories (some of which he rejected immediately, such as the one Sergeant Brosh suggested), Winry finished Ed's automail maintenance.

Another person barged in through the doors; Ed seems to be rather popular today, Harry mused.

"Hey Ed, you getting it on with a woman in your hospital room?" A black haired man -Lieutenant Colonel - asked tactlessly.

The statement was so sudden and out of place that Harry let out a laugh. Once again, Ed's side wound opened. At this rate, it's never going to heal, Harry thought amusedly.

She's only my automail mechanic!" Ed gritted his teeth. Even his antenna stood straighter.

"So you seduced your mechanic." Hughes inferred much to Ed's frustration. "You'll open your wounds that way," he noted when Ed started agonizing over the misconception.

"Ah Winry, this guy is Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. Lieutenant Colonel, this is Winry Rockbell, my mechanic.

That," Ed pointed towards Harry, who was still trying to hold in his laughter, "is Harry Potter, an alchemist acquaintance of mine." Ed lied through his teeth. Acquaintance his left foot.

"I'm Maes Hughes. It's nice to meet you. An alchemist, huh? The military's desperately in need of State Alchemists. Is there any chance you'd be interested? I doubt Ed and Al would hang around an alchemist who isn't worth his salt," He smiled.

Harry laughed and shook his hand. "I'm Harry Potter- pleased to meet you. Really? I didn't know that. I was a gatekeeper until quite recently, but it seems like I am now out of a job." He grinned. To his side, Ed choked.

"Oh really?" Hughes exclaimed, "You're pretty young for a gatekeeper! Well, my doors- and the military's doors- are always open for you."

"I'm a couple years older than Ed here." He smiled. Ed looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. A couple of years? Try a couple of millennia! "It's a bit of a family tradition, you see. I love to travel, so I left my job. I go visiting different countries every couple of years, and it just so happened that I met these two brothers here."

The conversation carried on lightly, and to Harry's surprise, he found Hughes to be rather pleasant (aka normal) company. The conversation would have continued (Harry wisely avoided the topic of kids or wives) on for longer if Winry's living arrangements did not come up. Seeing Winry's hesitance at staying in military dorms, Hughes generously offered up his own house... and promptly abducted Winry.

"Interesting company you keep", Harry noted once the kidnapped and the kidnapper were both gone.

Ed gave Harry with a flat look. "I don't want to hear that from a person who "goes to work" with a giant eye."

"Ah, touché."

* * *

"I didn't want this body!" Al shouted.

"Seems like I came at a wrong time." Harry cocked his head to the side. He had bumped into Winry on her way to the hospital, and the duo made a short trip to the nearby grocer's to pick up some food.

"And what proof is there that you're going to restore my body?" Al ranted on, to the surprise of Hughes.

Ed stuttered an excuse, which Al brushed aside. "Trust, huh? You're telling me to trust what with this hollow body?" Al continued rather cruelly. "There was something you were scared to tell me before, right? Could that have been something like my soul and memories were totally fake?"

After several more minutes, Ed slammed his fist onto his meal tray. "Is that what you've been thinking the whole time?" Al nodded hesitantly. "I see." Ed walked out of the room silently. From his spot beside Hughes, Harry frowned. A silent Ed was much more dangerous than an angry Ed.

Wintry seemingly materialized a wrench out of nowhere and began hitting Al's armor. "Al, you dummy! You don't know how Ed feels! That thing Ed was too scared to tell you was if you blamed him for what happened! In just what world is there an idiot who would be ready to throw away his life to make a _fake_ little brother? Isn't he your only brother?" Winry was openly sobbing by the end of her emotional rant.

Harry took the opportunity to interject. "Al, do you know why you two failed?"

Al shook his head, wary at what the immortal would say.

"It was because you two failed to procure a soul. If you could not drag out an existing soul from the Gate, what made you think that you can create one?" Harry paused before continuing. "It's impossible for humans to create souls no matter what price is offered. Even tampering with the soul is a very high risk. Your brother is lucky to be alive, and you are luckier yet. Ed could have chosen to keep his arm, you know. He did not have to sacrifice another limb- he lost a lot of blood that day. Anymore, and he would have been in danger of hemorrhagic shock, and yet he chose to sever a limb for you."

Al looked down in shame.

"Are you really that desperate to restore your own body?" Harry asked. Al nodded. "Then you should do it yourself. It's not Ed's fault you are stuck like this- it is your own. Edward has been nice; he shoulders the responsibility himself and shields you from the truth, but you're just as much at fault as Ed is. You helped him draw the arrays. You added your blood to it. The two of you are accomplices as far as the deed goes. Do you really want your body back?" Harry asked. Behind him, Winry and Hughes looked uneasy. To the side, Sergeant Brosh shuddered.

"You can have it back if you offered up your soul. Equivalent exchange, right?" Harry patted Al's head. "Of course, then you would be stuck with a soulless body. I don't want to take another one of Ed's limbs. You know he'd give it up for you, but a limb is not equivalent to a full body. Now then, I think you should go chase after him." Harry smiled. " Now," he commanded strictly.

Al ran like someone lit his loincloth on fire. Winry ran after him at a slower pace, while Harry and Hughes merely walked up to the roof.

"You're not just an alchemist, are you?" Hughes said, pointing out the obvious.

"I can do alchemy; I'm just not the kind of alchemist you have in mind." Harry was unfazed.

Hughes stopped walking and turned around. "Then who are you?" he demanded.

Harry smiled. "That does seem to be the million dollar question around here. I assure you, you won't find me on the records. I mean no harm to the Elrics; if anything, they will not die, at least not on my watch. Ed had his injuries coming; I told him more than once not to go into that lab, not to dig into the whole affair with the stone... Did he listen? No." Harry grumbled. "I say he deserved every injury and some more."

"Hughes, there are powerful people behind all this: the laboratory, the philosopher's stone... everything. Don't dig more than you have to. Be careful, okay? You've got a family waiting for you to come home." He warned and continued walking.

Hughes, on the other hand, looked thoughtful. "But I never mentioned my family..."

* * *

Harry took out a pocket watch and flipped it open. Closed it. Flipped it open. Closed it. The rhythmic clicking of the pocket watch was a newfound habit of his- it helped him think and calmed his thoughts. Harry looked at the open watch in his hands- nine thirty. Ed, Al, and Wintry should still be on the train, he thought. The train was an overnight one.

Hughes should still be pulling overtime, given the amount of evidence that Intelligence still has to sort though.

"Ah, that's right." Harry exclaimed. "Today's the day Hughes end up digging too deep. I thought I told him not to dig... I have a feeling he's not going to listen. No one listens to me nowadays," Harry sighed.

"He really loves his daughter... " Harry mused. He got up from his seat and shook his head. "I'm such a bleeding heart." He berated himself and disappeared.

It shouldn't take too much effort to track the man down. Every soul on planet passes through his hands at some point, and Hughes' was no different. That particular soul was particularly excited to see the outside world. While the process of extracting a soul from the Gate should have taken a year and a day, Harry had put that particular soul on the fast track, if only to get away from his perpetual boasting. His fellow souls probably would have kicked him out before long anyways. Each and every soul has a different feel, a different color, a different aura. Tracking a person by his or her soul was like taking candy from a babe- easy enough that he could do it blindfolded.

With a purposely loud pop, he appeared in front of a public phone booth. The booth was dimply lit by the street lamps; the street itself was deserted.

Looks like I came at just the right time, Harry thought. The appariation pop did its job- both Envy and Hughes turned to look at him. Not surprisingly, both of them looked at him like he grew a second head.

"You!" Envy shouted vehemently. In the guise of Second Lieutenant Ross, his face was twisted with anger.

"Me." Harry shrugged and walked over to them with a wave. "Careful, if you do that too much, you'll get wrinkles." He pointed to Envy's facial contortion. Envy spat at him.

"What are you doing here? And what did you do to me?" He asked with a snarl, referring to his inability to recall the man's physical appearance until now. His finger never left the trigger, but Hughes seemed to be calculating his chances of escaping.

Harry rolled his eyes. "There's a coffee shop down the road. I didn't know it was illegal for me to buy a cup of coffee. I simply dropped in to say hi." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "And I just tweaked your memory a bit- nothing that will drop your IQ points, not that it would have made much of a difference. I can't have you people blabbing to your lovely father, can I?"

Envy snarled and closed in the distance between him and the frightened man. "Not going to do anything, are you? One move and this man goes." He held the gun up to the Hughe's head and grinned evilly.

Harry sighed. "You are so cliché. I don't have much time to waste on the likes of you." His voice turned serious and his eyes hardened. He looked down upon Envy like a human would a bug. Before the enraged homunculus could pull the trigger, he suddenly found himself without an arm.

"Looking for this?" Harry held up Envy's missing limb and pried the gun out. Once he got the gun, he tossed the limb into the bushes behind him.

"Tsk! I'll kill you!" Envy's voice turned deep, and his iris turned bright yellow. He held Hughes by the neck while his other arm regenerated. "Quit getting in our way, Bastard!"

Harry on the other hand, looked bored. "Do I look like I care? I ought to make a career out of derailing your plans." He snapped his fingers, and Envy froze.

" _Imperio._ Let Maes go, return back to your preferred form, step out of the phone booth, and return back to your father in Central. Tell him and Lust that you successfully killed Maes Hughes by imitating his wife." Harry commanded with absolute authority. "Oh, by the way, _Obliviate_. You killed Hughes; your job is done. We never had this conversation, and you did not see anyone. Now quit wasting my time and go away." Harry made shooing motions in Envy's general direction.

The arm around Hughe's neck loosened. Envy's entire body shook, trying to resist the commands, but he shifted back slowly. His hair lengthened, his features changed, his body changed, and before long, he back to his normal appearance. Envy's yellow eyes shone with hatred, but no sound came out of his snarling mouth. With one shaking step and another, Envy made his way out of the booth and out into the streets- he disappeared into the night.

Harry watched his retreating back and smirked in satisfaction. Not even a homunculus can resist the commands of the Truth. His body and the stone within him won't stand for it.

"Are you going to tell me who are really are now?"

Harry turned his attention back to the injured man, who was sitting on the floor in shock.

"In a bit. Your wounds need to be cleaned and dressed." Harry smiled and withdrew his bleeding hand from his pocket. "Since you're not in danger of bleeding out, that can wait for a bit while I fake your death. Hughes, I'll explain later. The military is no longer a safe place for you, so you will need to… disappear for a while. You might want to step out of here unless you fancy getting more blood on you."

Harry absentmindedly began shaping the air around him as a body replica of Hughes began to appear. He levitated the gun from where he tossed it and shot the soulless body in the chest. To add the finishing touches, he artfully splattered the blood all over the booth.

Hughes looked on with horrified eyes- seeing his death as what it could have been. "Wait! What about my wife and child?" he asked, panicked.

"You are a good husband and father, Maes Hughes. I will make sure they are safe." He said with conviction. Said with such determination, Hughes would hardly doubt his words if not for the fact that no sane person would be doing this. Harry conjured various gauzes and bandages; he knelt down by Hughes and began to dress his wounds.

"They need to be dressed before we travel." Harry muttered reluctantly. Hughes nodded in thanks and began to bandage himself up. The duo worked in silence, one stunned by the events that had just transpired, and the other confused by his own actions. Hughes' wounds were serious, and the man was already showing early signs of hypovolemia.

"Are your wounds treated?" Harry asked and slung Hughe's right arm over his shoulder. "Traveling will not be pleasant. I will heal you once I get you to a secure location."

Hughes nodded and winced. "They will be alright- for now." He assumed that by travelling, the enigma meant smuggling him out of the city- or even the country. He was of course mistaken when Harry promptly asked him not to throw up.

Hughes frowned. "Why would I want to-" he began when he suddenly felt squeezed, as if he was toothpaste in a tube. Never had he felt as claustrophobic as he did now, and his wounds ached in protest of the rough gesture. Still, Harry's grip around him was tight and unrelenting.

* * *

The first thing Hughes did when he finally found solid ground was to kiss it- quite literally. The second thing he did was empty his stomach- he had never felt sicker in his life. It seems like his host had anticipated his actions, for he promptly found his face hovering over the edge of an empty trash can.

"I knew this would happen." Harry's voice drifted over him- on his right. "I had hoped that you would not lose any more of your fluids since you are already hypovolemic from blood loss, but I suppose I was too optimistic. Are all of your limbs still in one piece?"

"I think so," Hughes shakily wiped his mouth with a blood stained sleeve. The fact that he had answered the question without hesitance was a mark of how truly extraordinary his evening has been.

"Good. Now, let me see your wounds. I had to keep them bandaged up; otherwise, you could have splinched- left a part of you behind." Harry said as an explanation. "I can heal them now and restore your blood volume." Harry laid his hands on Hughes' wounds, and to the man's surprise, they healed in an instant without even a scar.

"Your blood too," Harry murmured and put a hand over Hughes' abdomen. Immediately, he felt his heart rate slow down as his blood perfusion returned to normal. A healthy flush appeared on his skin, chasing away the unhealthy pallor.

Hughes gasped in amazement, hardly believing his eyes. "This… This isn't alchemy."

"No, it is not." Harry admitted. "I do not owe you anything, but I suppose an explanation would be nice since I did kidnap you. Are you up to listening? This is not a short tale"

Hughes nodded, glad that he would finally get some answers. He was tired, but he has felt worse before.

"Before I begin, I would like to ask you to keep an open mind. A lot of this is going to sound utterly impossible to you; it should be impossible, but I make a habit of making the impossible possible. Firstly, we are currently in my safe house. This house is as safe as safe houses can get since we are in a totally different dimension at the moment. It may look like the dimension you are familiar with, but I assure you- you will find no one here. Secondly, I just teleported here. That awful squeezing feeling would be your body being compressed and pulled through space. There was not a better option at the time, and anyone trying to track you will find no trace of your whereabouts." Harry held up two fingers.

Continuing on, the immortal ignored Hughes' wide open jaw. "As for who I am… Well, how much do you know of alchemy?" He asked.

"I know a bit- not enough to be an alchemist, but certainly more than the average civilian," Hughes mused- he had been Roy's friend for long enough to be on the receiving end of his rants on flame alchemy. He had done some research here and there- mostly related to the cases he had investigated in the past. Meeting the Elrics had prompted him to tackle human transmutation, not that he was able to understand more than a quarter of what he read.

"Alright," Harry nodded. "In that case, I should probably explain some things. Alchemists draw their power from knowledge. More specifically, from enlightenment- the more they know, the more powerful they get. Western alchemists use this knowledge to manipulate energy externally- through tectonic movements of the Earth, for instant. Eastern alchemists use their knowledge to manipulate energy internally- they work with the current of life that circulates within all living beings. Thus, the western alchemists specialize in non-organic chemistry, while the eastern ones specialize in medicine. In both cases, they follow the law of equivalent exchange- to accomplish a task, they must first offer an equivalent."

Hughes nodded, readily absorbing the information though not quite sure how that has to do with his savior's identity.

"However, the ultimate source of their power is still knowledge. As you know, knowledge has to come from somewhere. Facts don't just suddenly exist- they are discovered even though the source or creation of the observed phenomenon might not be known. The credibility of the knowledge is also a vital part alchemy. Tell me, do you know of any alchemists who are religious?" Harry steepled his fingers.

"No, actually," Hughes pondered.

"That would be because what they worship is not an imaginary deity. What they worship is the Truth- they worship the knowledge that they so strive for. This knowledge is all held within a gate- one also known as the Gate of Truth. The Truth's primary task is to guard the gate. Alchemists who commit the ultimate sin- human resurrection- are brought before the Gate and the Truth for judgment of their crimes. They are allowed to obtain knowledge held within the Gate- knowledge of the past, present, and future- but in return, they pay a steep price. In Alphonse's case, his entire body and soul. In Edward's case, his left leg. If they manage to return from the Gate, they gain great power- the ability to use alchemy without needing transmutation circles." Harry conjured a cup of coffee for himself and hot soup for Hughes. The man did not touch the food, though he nodded in thanks.

"So that explain Ed's prodigal ability, but what does that have to do with-" Hughes paused when he recalled Harry's first words to him. "No- impossible," Hughes breathed.

"Nothing is impossible. I am the Truth." Harry declared. "I am what you call "the world." I am "Space." I am "God." I am the "Truth." I am "All." I am "One." And I... am "You." And once upon a time- a very long time ago- I was human." Harry looked down at his hands, his eyes shadowed.

Hughes' breath caught- God was not what he had thought he would be. His mind struggled to catch up- "How long ago were you… alive?"

"I lost count after five millennia," Harry shrugged. "I was born Harry James Potter, to parents who married and died young. I grew up with my maternal aunt and her family. From the moment I was born until now, I have always been unable to die or stay dead. I suppose it was luck at first, but now I know it to be a curse. Nonetheless, I went to school, made friends, and married my childhood sweetheart. I had three beautiful children- two boys and a girl," Harry's eyes softened as he thought of his children.

Hughes could sympathize. In that moment, God seemed so very human.

"My life was not smooth sailing. Like I said, I survived multiple assassination attempts and had to fight in a war before I turned eighteen. In fact, I had to be the commander after the previous one died. Of course, I did not know what I was doing at the time" Harry chuckled humorlessly, "and along the way, I accidentally became immortal. I watched as my wife and children grew old and eventually died. I had to watch my world completely die out as our way of life became unsustainable. When the last of my people died, I appeared before a completely white space and a large gate. There, I was told that my role- in return for the immortality that I did not want- was to watch over the new world that would rise from the ashes of what was left of mine. I was told that I cannot interfere- that I was to collect payment from sinners no matter how grave or cruel. I was given no choice in the matter, and thus I as I was told for many millennia as my humanity bled away day by day." Harry's voice dropped to a whisper. "Besides knowledge, the Gate holds the souls of the dead- including those precious to me, people who I used to call by the name."

The horrified look on Hughes' face said more than any words can convey. "What- What changed?" He stuttered. Clearly, the Truth would not appear before him if his policy of non-interference carried on.

Harry's lips quirked up very slightly. "Edward Elric happened. I'm sure you know of the homunculi's plan for Amestris by now?"

Hughes nodded.

"Well, Ed stopped them. He… His soul is incredible. His drive and ambition knows no bounds. He is a fire that burns very brightly. Did you know- he crossed the Gate five times- more than any person ever did. I came back because he overpaid me when he finally crossed the Gate for the last time. He traded me his ability to use alchemy- all of his potential as an alchemist- for his younger brother's body. At the end of the day, the only thing he truly lost to me was his alchemy and his left leg. He was the only person to ever understand the truth and defeat me."

Hughes managed a weak grin, feeling a sense of pride welling up from knowing the man that Ed would grow to become.

"Since I was unable to repay my debt to him in the future, I returned to the past to prevent the actions that would lead to Ed taking the path that he did. What happened in the future was a close call- a very close one. Those people with the Oroboros tattoo- homunculi- are false immortals who have the philosopher's stone as their heart. There are seven of them in total, each named after a sin. They have incredible regenerative abilities along with their own special powers. Envy has the ability to change his form at will- as you know very well. Lust can elongate her nails and turn them into deadly weapons. Gluttony can swallow everything- he was actually an artificial Gate, one made in a bid to create the real one. Greed can harden his body- an ultimate shield, so to say. Sloth has incredible strength, and Pride has control over all shadows, using them as his eyes, ears, and weapons. Wrath… is human. He is the man known as King Bradley." Harry sipped his coffee.

"No…" Hughes gaped. He was right- the whole of military was corrupt, but he had not thought that Bradley would fall to such lengths.

"The circumstances behind "Wrath" are complicated. He was raised from birth to become King Bradley. He is the product of a Philosopher's Stone integrating successfully with a living being. The man- or rather, creature- behind all of this is the original Homunculus. He is a soul which has escaped from beyond the Gate. Apparently, he went to such lengths because he wants my job." Harry rolled his eyes. "Anyhow, he had the knowledge to create Philosopher's Stones, and he used it to turn all of Xerxes into one. That is why all of Xerxes disappeared in one night."

This is so cliché, Hughes thought as a bead of sweat slid down his neck.

"In the future, he would succeed in doing the same to Amestris. He thought that absorbing souls would give him the power to usurp me. He acquired more souls when he forced five people- Roy, Ed, and Al being three of the five- to open the gate through human transmutation. However, they had anticipated this and had a contingency plan- one that involved Lt. General Gruman, Major General Armstrong, and of course- Roy's armies. Together with Ed and Al's allies, they managed to execute a successful coup d' etat and unbalance the original homunculus to the point that he imploded from his own power. In the process, Roy lost his sight, and Al lost his soul to give Ed back his right arm. In the end, Ed offered his own Gate- his knowledge and ability to transmutate- to me in exchange for his brother. Dr. Tim Marcoh later healed Roy's eyes using the Philosopher's Stone he made during the Ishbal war- the Ishbalans were the source of many Philosopher's Stones for the army." Harry continued calmly.

Hughes shook- 'So that was why the military insisted on a full annihilation. And to think I was a part of it…'

"After the "Promised Day" had passed, Lt. General Gruman became the new Fuhrer, and Roy spearheaded the Ishbal Restoration Program. However, his reputation has been destroyed by his actions during the coup d'etat, and Gruman had a hard time earning the loyalty of all of the military while facing threats from the South, West, and North. Eventually, things settled one way or another, and Roy took the mantle of Fuhrer at the tender age of thirty-five. He was the best Fuhrer in all of Amestris' history- he ushered in an era of peace and prosperity. He truly fulfilled his dream of a beautiful future."

Hughes smiled deeply from the bottom of his heart. Even with his absence, he was glad that his friend was able to reach the top.

"However, the whole fiasco took too long and was too public. Setting it right is my second objective. I relied too much on you mortals to set the world straight. I will not make this mistake this time, and there is no need for the public to even know that a coup d'etat happened from within the military." Harry drained the last of his coffee and stood up.

"I assume this is where I would come in?" The Intelligence officer pointed to himself.

"Very astute of you. Yes, that is your purpose. Originally, I did not have plans to change your history. Make no mistake, I abhor people with murderer's eyes," Harry narrowed his own jewel-like ones as Hughes looked away in shame. "But you are a good father, and no child should grow up orphaned." Harry whispered.

Hughes paled. The thought of his precious Elicia orphaned was enough to send an arrow piercing through his heart. With him dead, who will take care of Glacia? Who will send Elicia to university? Who will pay for their house and their living expenses?

Thank God for small mercies, Hughes thought before catching the irony in his thought.

Instead, he nodded. "You have my thanks." He meant the words with all his heart. Even though he still had reservation about the situation he was in- there is no guarantee that he would be able to return to his wife and child- but at least he was safe for now, and they were as well.

The Truth waved his gratitude away. "Don't make a habit of counting on my empathy. By all accounts, I don't- or at least shouldn't- have any. If you truly wish to pay back this life debt to me, then help me change the future."

Hughes blinked in confusion. The future has already been changed; his presence here was the proof of that. Furthermore, the future did not sound like it needed much changing.

"Instead of waiting for you lot to blindly bump your way into the future, I have turned back time to take matter into my own hands, and the first thing we need is some good old dirt." Harry's grin gave Hughes no confidence whatsoever.

"This, is the greatest library that has ever and will ever be," Harry had to shout for his voice to be heard over the loud creaking of the large oak doors in front of him. When the doors opened, Hughes breath was suddenly stolen from him.

"This… This is amazing!" He gaped. It was a bookworm's paradise. Never had he seen a single room this large, and it was filled from floor to ceiling with endless shelves and volumes. There was no end in sight- merely occasional breaks in the columns for sofas and tables.

"Indeed," Harry smirked. "Everything that has ever been written in this world has a copy here. I have already filtered out the unnecessary grocery lists, directions, and miscellaneous lists, but there was still quite a lot of material, so I limited the criteria to only those pertaining to Amestris and government ranking officers. What I need you to do is find evidence."

"Evidence?" Hughes parroted as he accepted a short note from the deity. On it were several very familiar names.

"I have written down are the names of Fuhrer Bradley's personal cabinet of advisors. What I need you to do is to find evidence of their corruption using this library- be it moral corruption, monetary corruption… Whatever information that is publically humiliating or illegal barring anything that pertains to alchemy," Harry intoned. "Rest assured- all of them are corrupt to the core. You see, within the next year or so, Fuhrer Bradley will announce his retirement. His health has been steadily deteriorating, and he wishes to enjoy the remainder of his time with his wife and child. However, he worries over the country that he has given his life to and thus entrusted a very important task to one of the most promising ranking officers in the military- Colonel Roy Mustang," Harry absently twirled his finger in the air as he spoke.

Hughes eyes grew wide at Harry's plan.

"Bradley knew that Colonel Mustang was not directly under the command of any of the generals on his cabinet, and he trusted in the ability of his soldier to keep to orders. The task was to secretly investigate all members of his cabinet for any sign of corruption. If any was found, the cabinet members would be quietly replaced. Roy, who knew that he was far too noticeable of a figure to investigate the matter, entrusted you with the task- a suggestion that the Fuhrer accepted. Thus, the two of you faked your death- along with a full investigation under Roy's jurisdiction- to allow you freedom of movement. Upon your death, you will be given a promotion to Bridigar General from the Fuhrer to buy your silence. You will return roughly a year later with the evidence necessary to prove that all of the high ranking offers are corrupted. Before he retires, he replaces the cabinet and leaves the country in Roy's hands," Harry finished.

"I have no problems with this plan, but isn't this a bit too idealistic?" Hughes frowned. "The higher ranked you are, the more bribes you give and accept. Everyone has done the same. Furthermore, it is unheard of to promote a colonel to Fuhrer. People will say that Roy is too young and inexperienced to rule. He would not be able to earn the respect of those who rank higher than him."

"I will make it be known that Mustang has Bradley's favor- maybe raise him a rank or two for his service," Harry noted. "For the general populace, a message of peace will be Mustang's campaign. Having experienced a taste of war, Mustang will ascend to the role with intentions of stabilizing tensions in the North, South, and East. Roy was always meant to have the support of Xing… Ed and Al actually rescued one of Xing's princes- the one who will later become emperor. The royalty of Xing came to Amestris with the intention of finding the Philosopher's Stone, and in the future, Roy aids them greatly in the task. With new trade routes and alliances to the unexplored market of Xing, Roy will have the merchants backing him. A plan of stability and negotiation will placate the civilians, and a program to restore Ishbalan culture and population in their homelands will prove that Roy does follow through on his words."

"Still, that is a risky plan," Hughes contemplated.

"There will be no need to pass the position to General Gruman. He has a certain cunning about him that does not dull with age. I would not trust him to relinquish the position to Roy," Harry shrugged. "And besides, this is not a just a plan… this is the truth as it will happen."

Hughes rubbed his head. Who was he to argue with such logic? "Then why can't you force people to believe in Roy? Why do you have to go through such lengths to twist the future and convince them?"

"Simple. Humans were created with free will," Harry said shortly.

* * *

Mandy: This is version two of the draft for FMA/HP- it is very similar to the first one, except my style matured a bit, and I took out the OCs. OC fics, when well written, are very enjoyable to read, but I'm generally not a fan of OC fics. As always, this is unbetaed. The third draft will be the next chapter, so read through that (if you guys have time) and let me know what you think.


	4. HP and FMA 3

There was nothing. Not light, not darkness, not space, and not time. Nothingness- that was all that there was.

"Are you sure?" A collection of voices whispered. The voices belonged to no one yet everyone at once; perhaps, if they were more harmonious, their tone could be called sad.

"Yes," another replied firmly. This one was distinctively male. "This is my choice."

There was silence, a feeling defined not by the lack of sound as per usual, but by the feeling of tension, stretched taut like a muscle.

"You will pay the price then." the voice echo twice.

"I will," was the short reply. In those two words was a promise. It was understood but never voiced a aloud. "Take care of things here for now."

"We will await your return- no matter how long it will take." And with that, the gates from beyond opened, and there was light.

* * *

In the sleepy town of Liore, the morning sun rose slowly as it chased away the vestiges of the night. Wind whipped around the small town which lay off the beaten path. Sand and leaves alike rustled over the brick roads, forming a music that is unique only to the small desert town. In the distance, wisps of smoke curl from small, bent chimneys. They form small, fragrant, clouds before fading into the distance.

The inhabitants of Liore, both young and old, were soundly asleep- except for two very strange, and very awake, outsiders from far beyond the boundaries of the desert.

"The miracles of the Church of Leto, huh," one of them mused. "What a load of bullshit."

"Ni-san," a disembodied voice berated. It came from the hollow of a vintage armor, one that was well worn in and full of scratches. Beyond the helm, red eyes gleamed in the darkness. On closer inspection, the armor was empty- there were no flashes of fabric or flesh from beneath the cracks of the armor. There was just blackness. Emptiness.

"It's alchemy- just simple alchemy, and they all it a miracle," Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, laughed. He had one arm- the metal one- over his eyes as he laid on his bed. The metal was cool against his thin eyelids- a welcome relief in the summer heat. He thought of the demonstration the day before, when the priest had turned a small flowerbud into a sunflower- without a doubt, it was alchemy. He'd bet his automail on it.

"But the priest did violate the law of conservation of mass," Alphonse, the younger brother, pointed out. He was curled up (or as much as he could in an armor) in the far corner of the room.

"Ah- we could be onto something here, Al," Ed said. He raised his fist and clenched it tight; the early morning light reflected off his hands where the metallic joints bent. The creaked slightly from the morning dew- time to dry and oil them, he thought.

"Do you think… it's real this time?" Al asked, his voice smaller than usual. His corner was cold and shadowed, but he could not feel either. It was a wild goose chase- they went after every clue they could find, but there was never any concrete proof that the legendary Philosopher's stone was real to begin with.

He's still just a child, Ed reminded himself (while conveniently forgetting that he too, was a minor). He had to be strong- for Al. It was his fault that Al landed in this mess- he _had_ to get Al his body back- he _will_. "I think this might be the real deal. There's no way he could have done that transmutation without a transmution circle while breaking the fundamental laws of alchemy without the stone helping him along. He's not a good enough alchemist to pull that off without a rebound."

Silence stretched between them, but it was a comfortable silence- once tempered by the cool morning air of the desert and the twilight of daybreak. The insects and birds woke one by one, and they filled the crisp morning air with their song

Ed took a deep breath to clear his head. He stilled for but a moment before sitting up and throwing his blankets off. "I'm off to take a look at podium from yesterday to see if I can get any clues. We were too far away to really see the signs of a transmutation yesterday, and the square was too crowded afterwards. That third rated priest is not good enough to hide the transmutation marks, so if there are any, they should still be there."

"Right," Al agreed, nodding. He got up from his corner; the metal plates of his armor clacked and echoed around the interior. "Do you need me to come with you, Nii-san?"

Ed shook on his leather jacket and grabbed his crimson cloak from the back of his chair. "No, that's okay. I should be back in a couple of minutes anyways. We have to get started on the report for Colonel Bastard though- and your handwriting's better than mine."

"He'll know that I wrote it again, Nii-san," Al pointed out.

"Whatever," he pulled a face at the mental image of The Bastard smirking down at him. "He doesn't care anyways as long as he gets his damn report."

"Language, Nii-san," Al said in between chuckles. "Alright, I'll get started on the report then."

"I'll be back soon," Ed called with one hand over the doorframe. On his way out, he glanced at his pocket watch (while making an effort not to look at the scratched under cover of it). "I'll see if I can grab breakfast on my way back. I should be back in about ten minutes if I run."

"Okay, I'll come looking for you if you take too long," Al's voice was gentle as ever as he sat down in front of the table and pulled out a sheaf of papers from Ed's travelling case.

"Ah," Ed turned his head and left the room.

* * *

The square stretched from one side of the church to the other; in a rustic little town like Liore, it was huge. Restaurants framed the square with little black wire tables and chairs. Ceramic tiles painted elaborate circular patterns in golds and brown. All in all, it was luxurious, by Liore's standard.

Ed could only wonder where the funding came from. He leisurely walked to the far end of the square, shooing off a crowd of pigeons in the process. Ed covered his face with his automail as they took flight in front of his eyes and found their perch in a small cluster of trees nearby. In this hour of the day, the residents of Liore were just starting to wake up. There was no one in the square yet, and sunlight was adequate enough for him to see his surroundings clearly.

Ed crouched down carefully and brushed his gloved hands over the ceramic tiles of the square. As he thought, there weren't any transmutation marks. Although any chalk dust would most likely be blown away by now, there weren't any chalk marks in areas where chalk would likely catch on the tiles.

It was just one more piece of evidence- one more hope that they were on the right track.

He moved in small, quiet steps as he walked around the square and looked for any tracks that he might have missed- any surreptitious marks, anything hidden in the small cracks and crevices.

While he was preoccupied, he missed something very important.

"Look out!" A trail of sound came from _somewhere_ , but none that Edward could see- there was no one around him, and when he thought to look _up_ , the only direction that he hasn't looked in, he only saw a shadow falling towards him before his world blacked out.

* * *

Ed's consciousness slowly roused from its sleep; his eyelids seemed heavier than usual- heavier than lead, even. He groaned in pain and tried to lift them with little success. His automail worked perfectly though, much to his relief. Even without opening his eyes, he knew that he was back in the hotel room, on his bed. The fan overhead spun leisurely, making soft swooshing sounds. The slight wind brushed against papers on the wooden desk- no doubt the half-completed report that Al wrote. The bed he was lying on was soft- a softness that he has grown familiar with over the past week.

"Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?" An unfamiliar voice said to his left. The voice was a light tenor with a slight twinge of an unfamiliar accent. It was soft and gentle- the kind of tone one would use with a scared beast.

The thought of an unfamiliar presence in his room woke him immediately. Adrenaline shot through his veins, and before his mind could catch up to his body, he threw his covers in the general direction of the voice and leapt into a fighting stance. Ed blinked for half a moment and relaxed. He stood up on the bed and bounced slightly on his heels; the springs squeaked ominously with every motion, but he paid them no mind.

The unknown figure squeaked in surprise- a very civilian gesture, Ed thought. He struggled and flailed for a moment before untangling himself from the confining cloth.

"Ow… Relax, I'm not going to hurt you. " The mysterious male sounded wary and a little annoyed as he tugged the bedsheet off him. Ed studied the figure in front of him carefully. The male looked to be around Ed's age, perhaps around sixteen or seventeen. Unruly dark brown hair stuck up at various angles, and lithe muscles showed from beneath his shirt. The brightest pair of green eyes Ed has ever seen peered directly at his own golden ones.

Upon receiving no reply, an awkward silence filled the air. Hesitantly, the teenager continued, seemingly concerned. "Erm…what is the last thing you remember? You hit your head pretty hard."

Yeah, thanks to you, Ed thought to himself. "I went out for a walk and some idiot fell out of the sky and knocked me out." He too, was pretty irritated as well. He had no time to waste on trivial matters like this, let alone a matter that causes him bodily harm.

The man barked out a weak laugh. Or at least, it sounded like a bark. "Yeah, sorry about that, I fractured your sternum, left collarbone, and three of your ribs."

Now it was Ed's turn to be annoyed. Of all people for this man to fall on, it had to be on him. Seriously, the probability of a person falling out of the sky at daybreak and landing to him was next to none. Though perhaps the stranger was lucky that there was a person to break his fall. From what he could remember, the man was most likely in free fall and might not have survived the crash otherwise.

Oddly enough, Ed didn't feel any pain at all. He gave himself a mental pat down to be sure- no pain at all, and no IV drips or anything. Unless his nerves are dead or the man was lying (which Ed doubted since he recalled how intense the pain was), he should be in a world of agony right about now. So why wasn't he? He wasn't all bandaged up either, and the sudden movement didn't hurt him at all. He double checked his mental acuity- still as sharp as ever. There were no pain medications at the table or at his bedside (not that oral medications are supposed to be fed while the patient was unconscious).

"What happened?" Ed asked instead. He mentally analyzed the guy who literally crashed into him. Perhaps his analogy of Icarius was a bit too literal? The yet unnamed stranger scratched his head (a nervous gesture, Ed mentally cataloged). He could see that from the muscles on his arms and abdomen, the man was active- and a fighter, most likely, judging by his stance. Yet, he acted like a complete civilian. Something was suspicious.

"Well, I guess I should probably do some explaining," the man admitted. That would be nice, Ed thought sarcastically. "My name is Harry Potter- I'm a travelling alchemist from the West. I like to see the world, so I take odd jobs here and there to make the ends meet. It just so kind of happened that the priest here hired me to fix up the church's roof and give the tower bell a good clean. When I was finished with cleaning the bell before morning service, I tried to reach the edge of the roof and slipped. I couldn't get a foothold on anything and just fell. Boy, am I glad that you broke my fall when you did." Harry rubbed his head sheepishly. "You were in pretty rough shape after that, so you had me worried. While I was working on bandaging your wounds, a guy in a huge set of armor came looking for you; he sounded pretty concerned. He introduced himself as your brother, I think? He carried you back to the hotel, and I healed you completely then."

"Al- where is he?" Ed asked. His gaze narrowed- obviously, this alchemist was highly skilled at all things healing. He felt perfectly fine despite his grievous injuries. He glanced at the floor- no chalk marks again, but this person was clearly not affiliated with the church. And given his healing skills- Ed saw no scars- this guy was a cut above the priest. That led him to the question of why: Why did such a skilled alchemist work as an errand boy for Cornello of all people? "And what time is it?"

"Your brother went to get you food- it's about noon right now. You slept through most of the morning, I believe. " the man replied, glancing at his watch. "He didn't want to leave you, but I didn't know what you can and can't eat, so he went instead."

"I see." So clearly, this man was able to predict when he would wake up. On closer inspection, he couldn't see any smudged chalk marks- did the man not use a transmutation circle? There was no smell of ozone or odd chemicals. In fact, the man before him seemed to be an ordinary, lively teenager, except he moved with the grace of one highly skilled in martial arts.

"He should be back soon, actually," Harry continued. "He left a while ago; I think he mentioned something about stew?"

Ed got up from his bed and did some light stretches. Surprisingly, he was not heady from the blood loss. Instead, it was as if he had never gotten injured at all and had simply slept in.

"Everything working alright?" Harry asked pointedly while pulling out a chair for Ed to sit on. He disappeared briefly into the kitchen and emerged with a glass of water.

Ed nodded his thanks and took a gulp of water. "It should be alright," he said, looking at the screws and bolts on his automail. "Nothing's loose or detached."

"That's a relief then," Harry smiled. "I'm not really too familiar with automail, so I can't really do much with it."

Ed shrugged. "Not a lot of people are- they only became popular after the Ishbal, and only the East was affected for the most part."

Harry nodded.

"You're an alchemist?" Ed asked. He had questions- many of them- and he _will_ get some answers.

"Yes," Harry replied plainly. "Alchemy is my trade. I'm an orphan, and my teacher died a long time ago, so alchemy is really all that I have left."

"Sorry to hear that," Ed said a bit hesitantly.

"No, it's okay," Harry said nonchalantly. "It was a long time ago, and I hardly remember them anyways. Besides, I like to see the world; I have a really bad case of wanderlust. I can't stay in one place for long," he laughed. It broke the awkward tension in the room easily, leaving the air lighter than it was moments before.

At this, Ed smirked. Wanderlust was a concept that he understood very well.

"So you take on odd jobs here and there?" Ed asked while sipping his water. His pinky caught on a strand of golden hair, making him wince.

"Yeah, I have to eat somehow," Harry joked. "I could probably do better, with my alchemy and all, but a guy like me can't stay still for more than a month at most. It's hard to find an alchemy job- research or otherwise- that lasts for such a short period of time. Besides, it's nice to use my alchemy for the people- tell them and let them see that alchemy's not always some dangerous and ill-begotten voo doo that only does harm."

Ed nodded and pulled off a hair elastic off his wrist. He could empathize with that- by the people, for the people- it's what the State Alchemists stood for (or at least, what they stood for in name).

"How long have you been in Liore?" He asked. His words were slightly muffled, as he held onto the elastic with his teeth. He braided his hair with ease and tied it back.

"Just a couple of days," Harry said. "I'll probably leave in a day or two and head off to the next town down the rail."

Fair enough, Ed thought. But he wanted to confirm something with the alchemist before he skipped town. "Have you seen any of Cornello's miracles yet?" he asked lightly, seemingly making small talk.

"The Priest's?" Harry asked with a raised brow. "I wouldn't really call them miracles, per se, but I have seen them a couple of times. Why do you ask?"

Ed hmmed in thought. So he wasn't the only one who thought that the priest was a fraud- this alchemist was clearly skilled enough to pick up on the fact as well. "Did you ever notice anything odd with them? Those miracles of his?"

Harry leaned back and laughed. "Besides the fact that they're not miracles? I'll eat my glasses if it's not alchemy that he's doing."

Ed chuckled and leaned his weight on his automail arm. Harry was easy enough to get along with, and he seemed to be able to put people at ease very easily. Perhaps a bit too easily, the paranoid part of him warned. But, he has faced more dangerous things than overly friendly strangers. "Did you notice? His alchemy-"

"Violates the law of Conservation of Mass," Harry finished for him. He began doodling arrays absentmindedly on a blank sheet of paper. Ed inspected it curiously. It looks like something related to water and carbon?

"He probably has some kind of elixir or gem stone- something that both focuses and enhances alchemical energy," Harry analyzed. He propped his head up on his elbow in thought- the clumsy civilian persona began falling off him in chunks, and the sharpness of his eyes belayed the sharpness of his mind.

Bingo, Ed thought. This was what he wanted to see- the alchemist side, the warrior side of the stranger. Whoever he is, he was definitely someone more than just the average run of the mill alchemist.

"Well, whatever it is, it reeks of trouble," Harry warned, shaking his head. "As soon as I finish patching up the roof, I'm getting out of here. I want no part of this madness whatsoever."

At least the guy has a healthy sense of self-preservation, Ed thought (it is something that he sorely lacks). He didn't even know of the Philosopher's Stone, and yet he knows that there's trouble brewing on the horizon.

* * *

Just then, a polite knock interrupted whatever Ed had thought to ask next. Hastily, Harry got up and opened the door wide- it was Al, who was carrying a large bowl of stew and a loaf freshly baked bread.

"Welcome back," Harry said with a nod. "Here, let me help you with that. I'll toast some of the bread to go with the stew."

"Thanks," Al said and handed the bread to him. Harry took it easily and retreated to the kitchen.

"Brother, how are you feeling?" Al gently laying down the tray in front of Ed.

"Like I got a good night's sleep, surprisingly." Ed shrugged and popped his shoulders. His mind however, was whirring at lightening speed- how is it that the State has not snapped up such a promising alchemist yet? And such a young one at that?

"Brother?" Al waved a large armored hand in front of Ed's face.

"Stop that." Ed said, annoyed. He casually swatted the hand away. The usual grumpiness was back.

"Just checking." Al sounded playful, even though he couldn't physically grin.

"Hey Al, what do you think of…" Ed asked, tilting his head in the direction of the kitchen.

"Harry?" Al finished. "He's a nice enough person- polite, responsible, nice… You could probably learn from him, Brother," Al teased.

Ed kicked Al's shin petulantly- not that it did anything. Al only laughed in reply. "He's very skilled in healing, I'd say. It was really interesting to watch, and not a lot of people specialize in healing. I really don't think he meant to fall on you, Brother."

Still, Ed pouted. "He didn't use a transmutation circle?"

Al thought for a moment. "No, now that you mention it, he didn't. He just clapped his hands and touched you on the shoulder."

Ed narrowed his eyes. No transmutation circle and a penchant for healing… Something was fishy. Healing- or any branch of organic science- is rare in alchemy considering how closely it edges to the taboo of human transmutation.

"Do you think he knows of the stone?" Al asked.

"I'm not sure… I think he has suspicions, but I'm not sure if he knows of the stone specifically. It's a bit too early to judge, but I don't think he's after it. He definitely knows that Cornello is a fraud," Ed snorted and began shoveling stew in his mouth. He forgot that he missed breakfast, and now his stomach was reminding him keenly of it.

Al chuckled. "I'm glad that we're not the only people here who don't believe in Cornello's miracles."

"Yeah," Ed agreed wholeheartedly.

"I'm back with toast," Harry said cheerfully. He emerged from the kitchen carrying a plate of freshly toasted bread and a small dish of butter. "the toaster looked clean enough to use, and there was some butter in the fridge."

Ed nodded his thanks and picked up a piece of bread.

"Do you not want some, Al? I sliced up enough bread for two." Harry asked, noticing the lack of food.

"It's okay," Al said, frantically thinking of an excuse. "I bought some food at the bakery on my way back, so I already ate."

"Alright," Harry said doubtfully. "If you're sure."

Al nodded. "Here, you can have some too," he said, hurriedly stacking an empty plate with toast.

"No, no," Harry shook his hands. "I shouldn't impose- not after all the trouble I caused you guys. Besides, I'm not that hungry."

"Nonsense," Ed waved away Harry's concern and pulled him back down on his seat. "Alchemy takes a lot of energy, and you did some pretty detailed work back there. You didn't even leave a scar."

"Besides, I doubt Brother can finish it all anyways," Al added.

Sheepishly and a bit embarrassed, Harry began to nibble on the bread.

"Say, Harry," Al started.

"Yes?" He put down his bread and gave Al his full attention.

"Do you live around here? We were thinking about seeing the church a bit while we are here," Al hedged.

"No, I'm a traveler- I live at the inn about two blocks down. I got here a couple of days ago, and I'm probably going to leave soon. I guess I could give you guys a tour of the church though- I now it well enough by now to take you guys around. Lemme tell you- that church has a lot of leaky pipes," Harry laughed a bit.

Well, water leaks aren't the only leaks that church has, Ed thought.

"I'll probably fix the rest of them today and tomorrow, but sure, I can take you guys around the church tomorrow if that's okay with you guys," Harry offered easily.

"Thanks, that would be great," Ed agreed, never the one to let an opportunity go.

"We wouldn't want to cause you any trouble," Al added politely.

"Nonsense," Harry said, waving his hands. "Consider it an apology and equivalent exchange for accidentally falling on you. You probably shouldn't do anything strenuous today- even though your wounds are healed, you need time to rest your body. I'll probably head out tomorrow at about eight? The church doesn't allow visitors before then, so it's probably best to sleep in a bit."

So report writing it is, Ed thought to himself with a sigh.

* * *

The next day, the sun rose cheerily across the horizon, once again bathing the peaceful little town of Liore with pale orange light.

The birds chirped as usual, and the sleepy citizens of Liore woke to their morning broadcast of morning service. They listened to the preaching and blessings from their church, the church of the sun god of Leto. The soothing words gave their hearts peace and serenity to start off their day.

In front of a small inn secluded in the street corner stood two strangers- they were by far out of place from their surroundings. While the rest of Liore was barely awake, they have been up since daybreak- as was their habit.

"Sorry to keep you guys waiting," a light tenor voice called out from the second story. Hanging half out of the shuttered windows was Harry, whose hair was messy enough to almost form a spiky afro.

Ed raised an eyebrow amusedly at the state of disarray the other male was in, which only made Harry growl at him in jest.

"Give me five minutes- I'll be right down," he shouted before vanishing back into his room.

"Please take all the time you need- sorry to rush you," Al called back.

In exactly four minutes and thirty seven seconds, Harry emerged from the entrance of the inn with a piece of toast in his mouth and half an arm through his jacket. His hair was in slightly less of a birds nest, but only by a thin margin.

"Hey, sorry for the wait," Harry mumbled around his toast while struggling with the other sleeve of his jacket. Helpful as ever, Al held the sleeve straight for him.

"Thanks," he said, holding onto the half eaten slice of bread with one hand. "Sorry about that- my alarm didn't go off this morning. Oh, and I didn't get your names yesterday- I forgot to ask."

Somehow the words reminded Al very much of someone else. He looked pointedly at Ed, who only scowled back. "No problem- don't worry about it. My name's Edward Elric, and my brother's Alphose Elric," he said instead.

Harry went still and stopped in the middle of the road for a second. Then, he nodded and continued as if nothing happened. He finished the last of his toast and brushed away the crumbs. "The church is that way- there are some areas that aren't open for people to visit, but the view from the roof is really nice."

In reality, Ed could care less of the view. But, he would play along just this once. Clearly, by his reaction, he has heard of them- though most alchemists have at this point. "Cool," he nodded, seemingly not caring at all about the reaction. "Is the church big?"

"Yeah, it's pretty big," Harry agreed easily. "It's easy to get lost in if you're not familiar with the layout. There's a basement, three floors, and a roof. The Priest's office is on the top floor, and the bell is at the top of the church."

"I see," Ed said. He would have to map out the church's layout later when he has time.

"Wow, that is pretty big for a church," Al echoed. "What do they do with all that room though? The town doesn't have that many people."

Harry thought for a moment, his head tilted to the left. "Actually, I'm not all too sure. I've never been in the basements before, I guess, but there are some pretty odd looking bars over the windows… I noticed when I was pulling the ivy off the church walls."

"You didn't think it was suspicious at all?" Ed hedged.

"Of course I did," Harry shrugged. "I'm pretty sure whatever they're doing there is completely illegal, but I'd rather not stick my neck out like that. In this time and age, it's better to just stick your head in the sand and pretend that you didn't see anything. Besides, it's not up to a civilian like me to kick up a fuss over it." He glanced at Ed's silver watch as if to make a point.

Ed grinned. "If that's the case, then perhaps you could include the church walls as well in your tour."

Harry's eyes crinkled up in a smile that hid them completely from view. "Well, if you insist…there are some really interest mosaics there that I think you should see."

Al glanced between the two of them uneasily. Something tells him that he should never leave those two alone for any stretch of time.

* * *

Two large oaken doors creaked open, revealing the luxurious and spacious interior of Cornello's office. The priest of Leto reclined comfortably on the chair in front of the fireplace. He held in his hand a steaming up of morning tea; the bright red ring on his index finger clacked against the pure white porcelain.

Another priest entered, bowing his head as he did so. "Founder, a little boy and an armored man who called themselves the Elric Brothers are asking for an audience with you."

"What?" the priest asked, confused. He set down his tea on the tray in front of him and turned to face the speaker. "I'm busy- tell them to go home… Wait- did you say the Elric Brothers? Edward Elric? "

"Yes, I'm sure that was the name of the boy," the priest replied. "Do you know him?"

"Oh, this is extremely bad!" Cornello said, slapping one hand over his forehead. "He's the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric!"

"What? You mean that pipsqueak brat? This is a joke, right?" He gasped and leapt to his feet.

"Idiot!" Cornello scolded, "Age is irrelevant to being an alchemist! I've heard that when he was twelve, he obtained the license for being one of the State Alchemists, but… I see, he really is that rumored brat."

"But why is a State Alchemist here?" The underling priest hissed. "Could it be that he knows about our plan?"

"It seems that the dogs of the arm have excellent noses," Cornello said shakily. Sweat beaded on his forehead and dripped down in rivulets.

"Do you want me to send him away?" The priest asked.

Cornello sighed and shook his head. "No, doing that would be too suspicious. He might return if we turn him away. How about this- _they never came here_."

The priest gaped before replying shakily, "As long as God is content."

* * *

"Since it's still early, let's see the outer walls first," Harry said nonchalantly. "I'm not sure if you guys will get the chance to see it afterwards." He walked across the tiled road of the church gardens leisurely with his hands in his pockets.

Somehow, that was more ominous than it sounds, Ed thought suspiciously. He had his guard up, but it was not directed at his guide. They made their way around the church, when suddenly, their guide bolted.

Quick as a snake, Harry changed pace and ducked behind a corner. He crouched down gracefully behind a bush. He gestured them to follow him. "This way," he said quietly. The cheerful tour guide was gone- in its place was a war veteran. His steps left no sound as he sneaked through the underbrush. Sharp green eyes scanned the surroundings periodically, but his breath was not labored, and his actions were not frantic. Clearly, he was an old hand at infiltration.

"A repairman, huh?" Ed whispered softly with skepticism dripping off every syllable. He wondered absently if the man had a split personality.

In front of him, Harry chuckled. His shoulders hardly moved at all. "Well, a repairman isn't the only occupation I've had, that's for sure. Peace, Fullmetal, I mean you and your brother no harm."

Ed's suspicion peaked. Outside of the Bastard Colonel, no one called him Fullmetal. Was he in the military?

"And no, to answer your question, I'm not affiliated or working for any military organization," Harry said matter-of-factly. "I can practically hear your brain working overtime. You can stop now- whatever you guess won't be close to the truth, so you might as well save your time."

Al couldn't help but laugh, even in a situation as dire as this. Sneaking around was harder for him given his bulk, but the light green of the armor blended well with the leaves of the forest floor.

Ed thought that perhaps he liked the other personality more. Nonetheless, he kept his eyes peeled for any movement.

"Here," Harry gestured. Both Elrics crouched around him and followed his gaze. Hidden near the ground was a very small grate. It was undoubtedly rusted with dried blood, and an eerie scream emerged from it. It was quickly muffled by the ground.

"That's the basement?" Ed raised an eyebrow.

"It's a part of it- the part not open to the public, of course," Harry said with dry humor.

The smell of rotting flesh hit all three of them hard, followed by an ominous gurgle. "And you've never been in there before?" Ed asked skeptically. He has seen enough chimera labs to recognize them on the spot.

Harry shrugged and smirked. "Well, like I said, the church has a lot of leaky pipes that need to be fixed. Would you believe me if I said no?"

Ed shifted into a fighting stance- which in itself was a reply. Al remained where he was, completely unconcerned. It spoke volumes, since Al was a much better judge of character than he was.

"Relax, Kid," Harry said exasperatedly while minding to cover Ed's mouth before his temper could get the best of him and blow their cover altogether. "I'm not out to get you- I promise on my pride as an alchemist, alright?"

Ed glared silently and wondered if he should lick the hand covering his mouth.

"Don't you dare lick my hand," Harry warned. Behind him, Al chuckled.

"It doesn't really matter anyways- that guy's living on borrowed time now. I would have handled it if you guys didn't come by, but why do this the unofficial way if it could be done nice and legally?" Harry chuckled.

Ed eyed him with no small amount of suspicion. "I thought you said that you didn' t want to stick your neck out."

"Do you really think they'll be able to pin it on me?" Harry snorted.

Ed thought for a moment before replying, "Hm… Did you _really_ fall on me?"

Harry laughed again. "Yes, I really did fall on you."

"By accident?"

"Maybe."

* * *

"Come on, Cornello's undoubtedly waiting for you guys now," Harry rolled his eyes. "That guy is a third rated coward, but he's stupid enough to try something underhanded."

"Then that stone on his ring," Al asked as the part slowly emerged from the underbrushes and made their way to the front entrance of the church.

"It's a Philosopher's stone," Harry agreed.

"Then it's real!" Ed exclaimed. So clearly, Harry knew of the stone's existence. The next question is, is he after the stone? Ed doubted that the man came to Liore "by accident."

"They're real alright," Harry nodded. "Though this one probably isn't of any use to you guys." He eyed their automail and the empty case of armor.

"What do you mean?" Al asked curiously.

"Hm… You'll see what I mean in a bit," Harry gave them one last glance as he shifted seamlessly back into Harry Potter the Orphaned Repairman.

"Ah, Sister Rose!" Harry greeted cheerfully with a shy smile. "Good morning!"

"Harry," she replied with a grin and a light hug. "Good morning to you too! May Leto light your way and grant you a day full of joy!"

"Thank you," he replied enthusiastically, acting every bit the teenager that he was supposed to be. "I'm really sorry that I couldn't fix the roof yesterday- I slipped and fell when I was cleaning the bell" he said sheepishly.

"Oh my!" Rose gasped. "Are you alright? Don't worry about the roof- I'm sure Father will understand."

Harry smiled timidly. "Yes, I'm alright thanks to Ed and Al- they caught me from my fall. If it wasn't for them, I'd probably be dead by now."

Ed watched them both skeptically. Whoever this guy was, he's a really, really good actor. It spoke of volumes- the fact that he'd put up an act in front of Rose.

"Thank you so much, Edward, Alphonse" Rose said earnestly to the brothers. "God has opened your eyes to the kindness and needs of the world."

Ed nodded, all the while thinking that she was spewing absolute nonsense. Especially since that fall was no accident.

Harry nodded as enthusiastically as Rose. "Yes, so when Ed and Al said that they wanted to meet Father Cornello, I offered to give them a tour of the church. It's really the least I could do after the trouble I gave them yesterday… The architecture is truly beautiful, and the view on the roof is splendid! We're going to head up there after they give their greetings to the Father. They might even make it on time for the morning service. I probably won't be able to finish the roof repairs today though."

"Yes, that is a great idea," Rose exclaimed. "No, don't worry about the roof for now, Harry- what you're doing now is far more important."

"Would you like to join us, Sister?" Harry asked humbly. "I've only been here for a couple of days, so I'm afraid I don't know much about the history of the church."

If it were not for the sliver of a smirk on his face, Ed would have believed him too.

"He's really good," Al bent down and whispered in Ed's ear.

"Ah. Too good," Ed whispered back.

"I would love to," Rose smiled, completely missing the nature of the man before her.

"Excellent!" Harry exclaimed. "Ah, there's the priest."

"Good morning, Brother," Rose smiled.

"Good morning, Sister Rose, Harry" the priest said reflexively, only that his voice wavered. Ed almost snickered behind him.

"Now, please enter. The Father is waiting for you." he said, holding out the door for the party.

"The founder is a very busy man and doesn't have much time, but you sirs have good luck," he said. Behind him, the great doors shut with a certain finality that unnerved Rose.

"Sorry, I don't plan on talking to him for very long," Ed said, completely unapologetic.

"Yes, we'll end this quite soon," the priest said with a toothy smile. "Just like this!" In a flash, he pulled out a small hand gun and shot Al point blank in the head. His helmet flew off, and the rest of him dropped to the ground in a loud bang.

Behind him, two church workers crossed their spears in front of Ed to hold him back.

As expected of a civilian, Rose screamed loudly. To Ed's irritation, Harry merely stood there with his hands in his pockets, completely nonplussed. Ed wondered how these people could be stupid enough _not_ to see that guy as a threat- _when he's obviously dangerous and standing there without any presence at all._

"Brother! What is the meaning of this?!" Rose screamed frantically.

"Rose, these men are heretics that are going to trap the Father. They're demons!" the priest declared.

"No! If that's the case, then surely the Founder wouldn't have allowed-" she protested.

"The Founder _has_ allowed this! The words of the Founder are the words of God! This is the will of God!" the mad priest shouted back.

Rose hesitantly took a step back while Harry snorted quietly. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Old Man."

Ed merely glared hard at the priest as if expecting him to spontaneously combust.

"Oh? That's a mean god," Al said kindly and gripped the pistol's safety.

"What?" The priest screamed, alarmed at the sight of Al's empty armor. In the moment's confusion, Ed took the advantage and flipped the church worker hard on his back. Al punched the priest straight in the face. As the last man screamed and tried to run away, Harry dropped out of the shadows with the grace of an assassin and held the man in a choke hold. With a strong pressure over his throat, he quickly passed out and dropped to the ground in a dead faint. He set the man down on the floor, careful not to make a sound.

"Easy," he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"How anyone ever believes that act you put up, I'll never know," Ed grumbled.

"Maybe I'm just that good," Harry grinned arrogantly and dusted off his black gloves. Dressed in dark greys and browns, he blended easily into his surroundings. His posture straightened, and he stopped with all unnecessary movements.

"Wha- what's going on?" Rose panicked, her breath coming in short and rapid pants.

"Oh, this?" Ed saw that she was pointing at Al and backing away. "It's always like this."

"There- there's nothing inside! It's hollow!" She hyperventilated, stating the obvious.

Harry blinked. "You didn't think that it was odd that someone wearing a huge suit of armor wouldn't even take off the helm to breathe properly in a desert?"

She blinked out of her panic for a moment to consider the question- it was a fair point. She looked at Harry for a moment more, as if seeing him truly for the first time.

"This is someone bearing the sin of trespassing God's domain- just like me, and my brother, too," Al said, looking away. And Harry too, most likely.

"Edward too…?" Rose echoed.

"Well, let's stop talking about this," Ed rubbed his head with a sigh and surveyed the damage around them. "You saw your God's true nature, didn't you?"

"No! There has to be some kind of mistake!" she shook her head frantically. Behind her, Harry rolled his eyes and easily picked through the pockets of the priest.

"You're grave robbing?" Al asked skeptically.

"They're not dead, so I'm technically not grave robbing, no." Harry smirked.

"Geez, you're just like Brother," Al said exasperatedly.

"I'll take that as a compliment," he said and held up a ring of keys.

"Sheesh, the lady has seen this much, and she still believes in that fraud of a Founder," Ed's eyelid twitched in anger. Then, he sighed. "Rose, do you have the guts to know the truth?"

Harry shook his head. No, she really doesn't. If she ever appeared before the Truth, she'd be eaten up in a heartbeat. He can guarantee it.

"By the way, you secretly enjoy freaking people out, don't you, Al?" Harry snickered.

* * *

"So, this is the Founder's room, hm?" Ed stood in front of the large doors, looking up.

"Yeah, that's the one," Harry confirmed.

"Oh? You're supposed to say welcome, aren't you?" Ed grinned when the door swung open with an eerie creak.

"Welcome to our holy church," Cornello said, his tone even as he descended down the stairs. "Have you come to learn our teachings?"

"Yeah, I want you to tell us a whole bunch," Ed grinned, "Starting with the cheap alchemy you use to trick your followers."

"Hm… I wonder what you're speaking of? Grouping my power of miracles with alchemy would pose a bit of a problem. If you saw it once, you would understand," he said, the benevolent mask still firmly in place.

"I've already seen it," Ed cut in rudely. "The thing I don't get at all is how you were able to transmute something while ignoring the laws of alchemy."

"That's why I said it wasn't alchemy," he said patiently.

"I thought so," Ed grinned. "It's the Philosopher's Stone- you're using that. It's the ring, isn't it," he said, pointing at the ring.

Cornello gripped his cane tightly and dropped his act. "Hmph- I expected no less from a State Alchemist. It is exactly as you said!"

"You are correct! This is a mysterious power amplifier that was said to be found only in legends! If we alchemists use this, we can perform tasks of great magnitude with little cost!"

"I've been looking for that," Ed said tensely.

"Why do your eyes look like they want it?" Cornello taunted with a smirk. "What would you wish for by using this stone? Money? Fame?"

"And what about you? What do _you_ want? You've made a religion through fraud- what more could you want? If it's money, you can get as much as you want with the stone." Ed rebutted.

"No, it's not money. Even if I were to just sit there, it would enter my coffers through the donation of my faithful believers," Cornello grinned.

"On the other hand, I need obedient, faithful believers willing to throw away their lives for me. It's wonderful! An army which doesn't fear death! I've steadily advanced my preparations- in a few years, this country will be mine!" He exclaimed with a great laugh- as was stereotypical of most villains.

"Oh geez," Harry sighed. "I only hear this a dozen times a month," he grumbled. Besides, he wouldn't get three steps in before the homunculi shut the entire thing down.

"That often, huh?" Ed raised an eyebrow at Harry. To the priest, he said, "Don't care. Moving on."

"Don't just say a couple of words about my plans like "Don't care"! Aren't you from the army?" The Father completely lost his composure.

"Nah," Ed shrugged. "I guess you could say that- country, army, I don't care about that stuff. Look- I'll get straight to the point. Give me the Philosopher's stone, and I won't say anything to the people of this town about your fradulence."

"You're trying to threaten me?" Cornello's visage twisted into one of madness. "The people of this town won't believe you! I am loved by them! They are my servants? No matter how many times you yell, they won't listen! That's right! Because these stupid people have been fooled by me!" He followed his speech with a grand round of stereotypical laughter.

Ed only snorted and clapped sarcastically. "Well _done_ ," he said. "Well, I didn't expect any less of the Founder. Thank you, for giving us a most riveting speech. They won't listen to what _we_ say, but what about the stuff _she_ says?"

Ever the dramatic duo, Al slowly unclipped the chest plate of his armor to reveal a curled up Rose inside.

"Rose!" The Fonder gasped. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Father!" She yelled hysterically. "Is what you just said true? Have you tricked us? The power of miracles, God's powers- you weren't going to grant my wish, were you? You weren't going to bring him back!"

Harry looked away from the scene. He leaned against the back wall and merely tilted his head back. It was always hard to accept loss- no matter which form it came from. His heart panged, and he hurriedly shoved his feelings away deep, deep down inside of him.

"Hm, perhaps being a messenger of god was a lie," Cornello permitted. "But with this stone, there is a possibility that your lover can be revived!"

"Rose, don't listen!" Al shook his head.

"If you go, you won't be able to come back," Ed tempted. So he too, thought that Rose was too faint of heart to return from the Gate.

"Be a good child and come here," Cornello tempted. "What's wrong? You're one of us. Am I not the only one who can grant your wishes? Remember your beloved!"

"Well?" he demanded.

And away, she walked, head down in defeat. "I'm sorry you two, but this is the only thing… this is the only choice I can make."

"Good child, really," Cornello cooed.

"Now I will have to purge these heretics that threaten my religion with haste," He said and pulled a lever to his left.

Ed turned at the sound of a tail slapping the ground, and Harry casually slid over to stand by Ed.

"The Philospher's stone really is an amazing thing- it can make things like this. Is this the first time you've seen a chimera? Hm?" Cornello's eyes were open just a slit.

Ed and Al were suitably unimpressed- neither was Harry, for that matter. Chimera were a dime a dozen in Central, and the government condones several underground chimera labs. So no, it really wasn't their first time seeing a chimera.

A failed chimera, Harry thought and mentally rolled his eyes. Whoo.

"It is a bit hard to fight unarmed," Ed shrugged and clapped his hand on the ground. Before him, rose a spear made of steel. Harry observed the speed and detail with which the spear rose. There was room for improvement, really. It was rather slow, and the transmutation marks were coarse and easily seen.

"Why you! To transmute a weapon from the pavement without a transmutation circle- I can see that the title of State Alchemist isn't just for show, but it won't be enough!"

With a swipe of its claws, the chimera sliced clean through Ed's spear and his pants.

"Edward!" Rose screamed from the sidelines.

"Haha, how is that? How do claws that can cut through iron feel?"

"Rather dull, if that's all it can do," Harry remarked, watching Ed recover with alacrity and give the beast a solid kick in the chest. Real chimera on the other hand, can think and act for themselves. Incomplete ones like that half-cat beast can only act on their instincts.

"This one's a bit special," Ed said, allowing the beast to latch onto his automail arm. "What's the matter, Kitty? Get a good taste!" he said as he flung the chimera off of him.

"Good grief, Ed. You don't treat your automail well, do you?" Harry asked, remembering the rusted over screws in Ed's knee. "You should take better care of it."

Without further fanfare, Harry sighed and clapped his hands together, drawing both brothers' attention. Out of the ground emerged a long sword made of black, non reflective metal- carbonated steel. Before the cat could get its bearings, Harry slipped behind it and sliced the head off cleanly. With calmness that belay experience, he flicked the blood off of the blade and wiped it clean.

"You too, huh?" Ed said dryly. Still, he could not see what was taken of the older male as toll. "I had my suspicions."

Harry shrugged, not at all inclined to answer.

Behind him, Cornello and Rose gaped, having no idea that their shy and timid errand boy could harm a fly, let alone cleanly behead a chimera.

"You guys really thought I was just an errand boy." Harry raised both eyebrows in disbelief. This guy calls himself an alchemist? Errand boy, really? If anything, he was closer to a professional assassin.

"Rose, take a good look- this is human transmutation- the bodies of sinners that have breached God's domain!" Ed shouted as he ripped off his torn sleeve.

In silence, Harry bowed his head for the children who have seen and experienced far more than they ever should.

"Rose, you should get out of here," Harry said calmly while erecting a steel wall from the ground. The bullets richoted off the wall and tore holes through the tapestries.

With one fell swoop, he picked up Rose in one arm and tossed her over to Al- all the while ignoring her panicked screams.

"She'll be safer if you just toss her in the armor," Harry remarked while easily cutting through the crowd before him. With a light swing of his blade, the soldiers of the church drop like flies. It was really more of a hassle than anything else to keep the wounds non fatal.

* * *

While they were fleeing from the small army that Cornello had gathered, they made their way to the broadcast room.

"Oh ho," Ed rubbed his chin. His face stretched into a wide smile.

"I believe the bell is right above here on the roof" Harry said helpfully.

"What?" he asked innocently when Ed's eyes turned to him. "Don't tell me you weren't thinking the same. Rose, you know how to get to the roof, right? I'm off to pick through Cornello's bank transaction records," Harry said with a malicious grin.

"Eh?" Al asked.

Harry began flipping through one of the books on Cornello's shelves quickly enough to make any lawyer jealous. "In every case and every accusation made, there must be objective evidence to support your claims. Besides, I already know where everything is- it's just a matter of going back and retrieving it. I'll meet you in half an hour or so." Without further ado, he closed the book with a snap and leapt out the window.

Rose rushed to see if he was okay, only to see no trace of the man whatsoever.

" 'Slipped and fell' my left shoe," Ed complained with a growl. "That guy knew exactly what he was doing." Al only shook his head and laughed.

He had a job to do- he know he does. In a mere half a month, Liore will turn to a bloodbath- another point on the bloody crest that defines Amestris. The homunculi will make sure of it one way or another, and it was yet too soon to show his cards. There was nothing to be done for Liore because it was simply the fate of this town, and there was nothing anyone can do about it. The homunculi had the process down to an exact science, and anything that he does now will mean nothing.

However, he'll make sure to take his own advice- in every accusation made, there must be objective evidence. And this time, he'll make sure that they get it. The homunculi and their "Father" will get what they deserve.

In the darkness, Harry Potter promised the fate of the world and melted into the darkness.

* * *

"My, I leave you two alone for an hour, and this is what happens," Harry said with a grin as he craned his head up to see the full view of the statue. "And you say that you're not a believer of God."

"It was a dud- a fake." Ed echoed despairingly.

"The Stone?" Harry asked and took a seat on Leo's arm, over the third finger.

"Yeah," he sighed. "And here I thought that I could finally restore you, Al," he said to his brother.

"I told you it wouldn't be of any use to you," Harry shrugged. "At the rate at which he was using it, it would have been too burnt out for you to use."

"I see…" Ed sighed heavily.

"No… This has to be a lie. He said he could bring him back." Rose's voice was hollow. She fell on her knees and sobbed pitifully.

"Rose, give it up," Ed said bluntly.

"Why does it have to be like this? What am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to live?! Tell me- please!" She sobbed.

"Think about that on your own- stand up and walk. After all, you have two perfectly normal legs to stand on." Ed said and walked past her. Al and Harry followed suit, though Harry laid a hand on her shoulders.

"Be brave, Rose," he said with something akin to sympathy. It was a blessing, and it was the only one he could afford to give freely.

"So, what happens now?" Harry asked as Ed and Al hurriedly packed their bags.

"We finish our report and go to the next assignment that we were given," Al said while hoisting up the suitcase.

"All of your evidence is right here, by the way," Harry said while patting the case in his left hand.

"You're coming with us," Ed said firmly, surprising his brother and Harry both. While he didn't fully trust the man, he wasn't about to let an expert in biological transmutation go, especially one who have done human transmutation go. Besides, what he does now is a phenomenal waste of his talent. "You're a witness."

"Huh?" Harry pulled a face at them. Al seemingly caught on to where Ed's train of thought was going.

"It's not like you have anywhere else to go," Ed argued. "Besides, given the state of things now, the church isn't going to pay you for your work. Once the church workers wake up, they'll remember you."

"It's not safe here anymore, and it's better to travel in groups," Al added. "The colonel- the one we report to back at East District- might call you up in a court of law as a witness in the case."

"And you just assume I have nothing else to do?" Harry raised an eyebrow, fully prepared to give the brothers the slip and disappear.

"Well, do you?" Ed challenged. His chin tilted up in defiance.

Harry ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "How troublesome. Is it always like this with you guys? I swear, all this stress can't be good for my heart."

Ed rolled his eyes. "How old _are_ you? Eighty? Let's get going, Old Man!" he said, not taking no for an answer.

"Well, I suppose," Harry said doubtfully, not rising to the bait. "Where are you guys off to next?"

"Youswell mining town," Al said while checking the paper that detailed their assignment.

"Really? Are you sure? I've been there before," Harry said skeptically. "There's seriously nothing there."

* * *

The train ride to Yousewell was by far uneventful. In fact, the train was completely empty on boarding, and even the cashier had to check with them twice to make sure that they didn't as for the wrong location by accident.

"There's no one on board," Ed said, a bit surprised at how dead the air was.

"I told you," Harry said exasperatedly. "Seriously, listen when people tell you stuff."

"We had heard rumors, but we didn't think it was that bad," Al added.

"The town at the end of the east- Youswell, huh," Ed wondered and folded his map.

"So, why are you guys looking for the Philosopher's stone? You're awfully young- both of you." Harry asked, jolting Ed out of his thoughts.

Ed and Al looked at each other, wondering if it was safe to tell him. And how on Earth did Harry manage to guess Al's age?

"We… We want to restore our bodies," Al said, knocking on his empty breast plate.

"Not to complete your transmutation?" Harry asked. His expression was completely blank, and Ed could not get a good read on the thoughts that lurk behind those green eyes.

"No," Ed said firmly. "We were stupid- what we did was inexcusable. We only want to restore ourselves. Al doesn't deserve to be stuck in an armor for the rest of his life."

"I see," Harry said and looked out of the window. "No, you really don't deserve that."

"If you don't mind me asking, who…?" Harry hedged.

Al looked down at his gauntlets and said in a small voice, "Our mother- she died from an epidemic when we were kids. We tried to bring her back, but Ed lost his leg, and I lost by body. Then Ed gave his arm to bring me back."

Ed looked away, the conversation dredging up unpleasant memories for him. But it had to be done- to gain some, he had to give some.

"I see- you have my condolence then," Harry inclined his head.

"What about you?" Ed interjected. Condolences mean nothing to him. Condolences won't bring Mother back. "You've clearly done human transmutation as well." He held out his hand in a gesture of equivalent exchange.

Harry smiled, as if he had seen the question coming. "My fiancé and our undead child," he said as a means of answer. "I… Something far more important than a limb or a body was taken from me- something that can never be returned."

Ed's mind whirred. What can be more important than a body? Something that can never returned- a soul? But Harry clearly had a soul. An organ? No- not quite.

"How long have you guys been looking for the stone?" Harry asked instead, steepling his fingers.

"Three years," Al replied.

"Three years… you became a State Alchemist to go looking for the stone, huh?" Harry sighed and leaned back. "They'd never say no to a talent like yours," he mused. "Have you guys found any leads to the stone? I'm not after it myself- there's nothing I would do with it-I have no use for something like that."

Al shook his head. "No, beyond Liore, we have no other leads."

"Do you not want to bring them back? Your loved ones?" Ed blurted out.

"I see," Harry nodded. "No, there's no point anymore. The dead can't come back, and that's that."

Ed nodded glumly. "What do you know of the stone?" He asked.

"Know of it?" Harry repeated. "I know of it- I've seen it before. It's not necessarily a stone, strictly speaking. It was in liquid form- about a couple millimeters in volume, and it was the brightest red that I've ever seen."

"You've seen it? Where?" Ed leapt up in his seat.

"Down, Tiger," Harry snorted. "The guy who had it is long dead, and I can't tell you anyways. Anyone who knows the true origins of the stone gets killed for it. Why else do you think it's so hard for you to track one down? The people behind the whole thing are very, very thorough. I only managed to see it for a few scant moments, and even then, the one who let me see it was killed a week later."

"You can't tell us anything? Not even a clue?" Al asked.

Harry's lips thinned, and he shook his head. "No, the only thing I can tell you is this: don't look for it."

* * *

Mandy: This one is the third draft of my FMA/HP cross, and it is completely different from the other two. It's the most recent one- I wrote this from scratch a couple months ago. In this one, Harry is still the Truth, but that is his price for trying to abuse his privilege as the Master of Death to bring back Ginny and the unborn James Sirius from the dead. In this fic, the price he paid was his mortality, and he has to serve the Gate for an unspecified amount of time (kinda like how the Titans got punished), and now due to Ed's over-payment at the end of the series, he is freed from the rest of his time (gotta say, Ed's potential to change the world is enormous). As such, he traveled back in time to prevent people from dying and to repay Ed by making his journey a bit smoother. And then well, stuff happens (I won't give away the rest of the plot now). But basically this idea stemmed from the question "What if God (the FMA one) was once human?" And so self-employed, world saving assassin Harry Potter happened.

I do feel kinda guilty for slotting in a character into the FMA verse, as mentioned before, but let me know if you guys want me to continue with this idea, and which one you guys like the best.


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